Paying the price
by Ralina
Summary: Hermione awakens badly hurt at St Mungos without the memory of the last four months. But that's not the worst of it. Nobody seems to remember her any longer and when she starts meeting supposedly dead people that are most definitely alive, she is convinced: something has happened to her. The question is what?
1. Chapter 1

A.N.: Hey guys, here we go again. This is another story idea that came to my mind. The story is not fully planned out and I still haven't decided on the pairings. But there will be at least one paring later on in the story.

A.N.2.: I don't own Harry Potter, which is kind of sad, but my writing style isn't nearly as good as J.K.'s and that's alright. The woman is a genius, after all, and she deserves all the credit.

A.N.3: I'm still not an English native speaker and my writing might me strange and contain some errors. I'm sorry about that, but I'm doing my best.

A.N.4: I finally found a lovely beta. Thank you Goldenbassets for helping me with my English! We are currently going through all the chapters and making some changes. But it won't affect the plot, just grammar and spelling...

Paying the price

Chapter 1: Down the rabbit hole

3rd of September 1999

It was around noon when the unconscious woman suddenly appeared in the middle of Diagon Alley, right in front of Fortescue's ice cream shop. Nobody had seen, were she came from and later people swore, that the young woman suddenly appeared in some kind of blue light, when she materialized from thin air. But as such a form of magical transport was totally unheard of, the authorities put it off and decided to ask the woman instead, as soon as she regained consciousness. Nobody could say though, how long that would take, as she seemed to be in very bad shape. And so she was transported to St. Mungos immediately and placed in a private ward where she would be kept, as long as her identity and therefore the fact if she was in some way dangerous remained unknown. Apart from some old scars on her body, the stranger bled from several curse wounds and there were burns and wounds on her body, where it was simply impossible to tell the origin. Where could she have gained such injuries in such peaceful times as these? Who was this bushy-haired woman anyway? Did she travel to wizarding Britain from abroad? Or did she work with dragons or other dangerous creatures? Nobody seemed to know the answers and so the authorities and the hospital staff would have to wait until the stranger finally woke up. But how long that would take, nobody could tell.

5th of September 1999

Hermione awoke with a pounding headache and a soreness in her limbs, that reminded her of the days she had spent at shell cottage after being tortured by Bellatrix Lestrange. Had she been tortured again? And if so by whom? The Dark Lord was dead for some time now and as far as she knew, all his marked followers were out of the picture as well. Did she stumble into some kind of accident? The last thing she remembered was visiting George after the festivities for the end of the battle of Hogwarts and then… nothing. That was … unsettling.

She opened her eyes only to be overwhelmed by the bright light that fell into her room and she closed them again with a pained groan. But the noise must have been enough to alert whoever was in the room with her.

"Ah, you're awake, Miss. Very good," a foreign voice greeted her politely and she nodded, before blinking her eyes open again. The room was still too bright, but at least she was now able to make out her surroundings. It appeared she was in some kind of hospital, as her bed definitely looked like a hospital bed and the walls and the beddings were all in a pristine white. But the tell-tale sign was the beautiful platin haired woman in green healer robes that walked towards her with a polite smile on her lips. "How do you feel, Miss…. Ah…" The woman smiled an apologizing smile. "I'm sorry but nobody could tell us your name. Would you mind helping us out here?"

Hermione nodded confusedly. Nobody could identify her? Not that she minded, but that was odd. After the end of the war, she had been stalked by the press for months and it didn't take long until she was as famous as Harry Potter himself. Was she in such bad shape that nobody had recognized her? "My name is Hermione Granger," she said politely and waited for a gasp or any other sign of recognition, but nothing happened. The healer just nodded at her politely and noted something on a scroll that floated next to her in the air.

"Alright Miss Granger. Now, how do you feel?"

Hermione paused and took a moment to think about the question before she answered: "Quite frankly, I feel terrible. Everything is sore and I have a pounding headache. My limbs feel like they are aflame, probably the Cruciatus curse, but I am not sure as I don't exactly remember what happened to me."

The healer looked at her with wide eyes and hastily took some more notes. "That is bad… you say you can't remember what happened?"

Hermione shook her head confusedly. "Sadly no. The last thing I remember was visiting George… that is George Weasley."

"The shop owner?"

"That's the one," Hermione confirmed. "I can't even remember leaving his place again. Maybe there was an attack or something? Is he here, too?"

The healer shook her head. "I have no knowledge of an attack or anything similar. Maybe it would help if we called him? He can probably help us to find out, what happened to you."

Hermione released a relieved sigh. Calling George was a great idea. Even if he didn't know what happened to her, she would still be glad to see him again and make sure, he was alright. The last time she saw him, he was anything but in good shape. "That would be great. Could you also call my friends Ron Weasley and Harry Potter?" Hermione waited for a gasp when saying Harry's name but she was disappointed again.

"That shouldn't be a problem, Miss. I'll send a message as soon as I'm finished with your examination," the green-robed woman replied in a polite tone.

"Thank you, healer. I can imagine they're quite worried by now. I don't even know how long they haven't seen me. Could you tell me what date it is, please?"

"It's Sunday the 5th of September," the woman said politely and lifted her wand for some more analyses. Hermione couldn't help but swear, before looking at the healer with wide eyes. That was bad, really bad, because it meant that she was missing the last four months of her memory.

24th of August 1998

It was never a question for Hermione if she would return to Hogwarts to finish her education there. Going back was her kind of reward for fighting along Harry and finally finishing off the Dark Lord and his band of racist followers. Hermione loved studying and learning new things and she loved Hogwarts. The place had become something like a second home to her, a home where she could embrace her true nature as a witch and bookworm. Harry and Ron hadn't really understood, as education was never at the forefront of their minds, but they didn't begrudge her the decision either.

"We'll just join the Auror trainee program from the ministry," Ron had explained while holding her hand in the backyard of the Burrow. "That's what Harry and I wanted to do anyway. And if the ministry's falling over their feet to appraise the war heroes by letting us join without our NEWTS - all the better." With that, he stuffed one of his mum's homemade pastries into his mouth and grinned happily. Hermione sighed. She wasn't surprised by his decision of course, but she still wished, that her friends would return to Hogwarts together with her if only to have at least one normal, carefree year together.

"I still wish you would come back with me," she finally admitted and pressed his hand to her cheek. "I know it's selfish, but we'll barely be able to see each other once I'm back at school. And I know you're no big writer so I'm not expecting more than an owl per week."

He grinned sheepishly at her. "I'll come to Hogsmead, Mione. We could even go to Madame Puddifoots if you like."

Hermione couldn't help but snort. "And then what? We drink punsh and eat pink sugary cakes? Can you see us doing this?"

He laughed before kissing her happily on the mouth. "Probably not. That isn't really us, huh?"

Hermione shook her head with a gentle smile. "Not really, no." She also knew the other reason why Ron wouldn't come back with her. The sad truth was that his family simply needed him. George had taken the death of his twin very badly and as days went by, he got worse and worse. There was nothing left of the fearless prankster, the boy had been a year ago. Not even losing his ear had dampened his mood and he had still been able to joke about the situation. But losing his twin had broken George and Hermione wasn't sure if her friend would ever be the same again. But he wasn't the only one that was affected by the family tragedy.

"How's your mum today?" Hermione asked and gently stroked her boyfriend's hand with her thumb. Since the end of the battle, Hermione had barely seen the witch that hid herself inside her home and fretted over her children even more, than she had before.

Ron shrugged helplessly. "She isn't well. None of us really is since… Fred. But with her, it's even worse. You know, she's got the feeling, that it's always our family paying the price. In the first war, there were her uncles. I don't know if you've heard about them. They were twins and her younger brothers. Fabian and Gideon were in the Order too and they were fearless, a bit like Fred and George I guess. It took five Death Eaters to take them down but in the end, it was a bloodbath. She never talked about them very much, but the last year and what happened to Fred must have brought the memories back."

Hermione nodded sadly. "Is there anything I can do, Ron? I want to help, you know? Your parents have always been good to me. They have taken me in like one of their own. I want to give something back to them, to all of you, in fact, you know?"

"I know, Mione," her boyfriend replied and pulled her into his strong arms. "But there's not much you can do at the moment. Mum just needs time. And she needs all her children with her to realize, that none of us is going anywhere." He kissed her again. This time it was a gentle, slow kiss and Hermione enjoyed the soft feeling of his lips on her mouth.

"Alright, Ron," she finally said after she rested her head on his shoulder. "But let me know if anything comes up and you need my help. No matter what, okay?"

He grinned, before playing with her hair. "Don't worry, Mione. Everything will be fine. You just go back to Hogwarts and enjoy yourself in the library. The year will be over faster than you think and by the time you're back…"

He left the sentence unfinished, but her fantasy readily supplied her with possible endings. And she liked them all.

6th of September 1999

Hermione waited all of the day for Harry and Ron to visit her, but nobody came. When evening finally arrived, her head had found enough excuses for them, why they couldn't see her right away and she had resigned herself that she would have to wait until the following day. But morning came and instead of Harry and Ron another unexpected guest came into her room.

"Malfoy?" she asked in a voice that couldn't conceal her shock. "I'm sorry, but what are you doing here?"

The pale blond wizard looked at her with curious grey eyes. "Healer Malfoy, if you please," he replied politely and pointed on his green healer robes. "I've been assigned your case, Miss Granger. May I ask how you are aware of my name?"

Hermione looked at him with open mouth and wide, confused eyes. "Excuse me?" she said before shaking her head. "Well, I'm sorry… I wasn't aware you're a healer now."

He nodded with furrowed brows, before noting something on the scroll, floating at his right side. "That's alright, Miss Granger. But excuse my curiosity; I get the impression that you somehow know me. Have we met before?"

Hermione couldn't help but furrow her brows. "We… we went to school together. Don't you remember? I was in Gryffindor, you were in Slytherin. We weren't exactly friends, but…"

The man interrupted her with a rise of his hand. "Actually I was in Ravenclaw, Miss. All Malfoys before me were in Slytherin, but I was the first one breaking that tradition." At that, he puffed his chest proudly. But Hermione just gaped at him and shook her head confusedly.

"I… I don't understand…" she said and kept shaking her head. But he cast her a calming smile, before making another note.

"No, but I start to get, why I was assigned your case. It's truly an interesting one. You see, I am specialized in the healing of mental issues. That's why I wondered about being assigned your case as there seemed to be mostly curse damage and other issues. But now I see…"

Hermione gaped at him. "You think I'm crazy?" she asked and looked at him with wide eyes. But he shook his head and cast her an empathic smile.

"No, Miss Granger. It's obvious, that some terrible things must have happened to you. You see, yesterday the healer that was assigned to your care looked up your name after you filled her in about your identity. But here's the thing. There was only one Hermione Granger known to wizarding history. And she died in 1981."

Hermione didn't say anything after that and instead kept staring into space. It wasn't possible. Because she definitely hasn't died as a toddler. But why didn't Malfoy remember her, then? Hermione definitely remembered him and she was sure, that he hadn't been a Ravenclaw. There was no way she would mix up something like that. But the longer she thought about it, the more doubtful she got. Because even if the man that was her healer now looked like the Draco Malfoy she had known, he definitely didn't behave like him. The man was all politeness and smiles and there was nothing left of the arrogant prick, she had known from her school days. And that realization scared her more than the knowledge that she couldn't remember the last four months of her life. Losing memories was bad, but having the wrong ones was downright scary. But were they really wrong? Or was she just trapped in some kind of nightmare?

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door and before she could reply, Ron and Harry peeked through the door.

"Hey Malfoy," Harry greeted the blond-haired healer that was still in the room with her. The blond wizard nodded politely in their direction any waved them in. "Potter! Weasley! Great that you could arrange to come over. Do come in!"

Both of the boys smiled, before stepping into the room and shaking Malfoys hand. It was the most bizarre thing to watch. There was not a bit of animosity between them and it looked more, like the three of them had gotten on quite nicely in school, which they definitely hadn't.

"We got your owl yesterday and came as soon as we could," Ron said and looked towards her doubtingly. "You said this was about a patient of yours. Is it about her?" Ron motioned his head towards Hermione but didn't even bother to look in her direction. Malfoy nodded.

"Yeah, this is Hermione Granger, guys." Malfoy turned towards her and smiled politely. "She was found in the middle of Diagon Alley with some very serious injuries. She doesn't know what happened to her, as she is lacking her memory of the last four months."

Hermione nodded miserably and studied her friend's reaction. Ron looked almost bored and studied the room. It almost seemed he was avoiding to look at her. And Hermione realized that it _hurt_. Merlin, Ron was her boyfriend! They had been through hell and back together. So why didn't he remember her? Harry, on the other hand, looked worried and studied her with something like pity. And for Hermione that wasn't much better. Never in her life had she pitied him, not when she learned about his miserable childhood, not at Sirius' death or when she learned about the prophecy. She had been there for him, supported him, helped him, held him – but never pitied. She had the feeling that he would have hated it because Hermione most certainly did.

"That's horrible, Miss Granger," Harry finally replied, before turning back to Malfoy. "Do you want me to investigate the case?"

Malfoy shook his head with a smile. "No Potter, don't worry. I haven't called you here in your function as an Auror. You see, the thing is: Miss Granger has asked for you to come. She said you're friends."

Hermione swallowed because she anticipated their reaction before one of them even said a word.

"She what?" Ron said bewildered and looked at her for the first time. His eyes raked over her body, her wild hair and her white nightgown, before looking away again. "I most certainly don't know her. You're sure she's not some kind of crazy fangirl? You know, since I've made keeper for Puddlemere I've had some of those." It was like receiving a blow in the chest and Hermione couldn't help but gasp, before staring wide-eyed at the three of them. Harry looked back at her calmly and studied her with green, sad eyes.

"I'm sorry, Miss… Granger. But I am quite sure we have never met before. Where do you think we met again?"

She swallowed heavily. "At school…" she said silently before staring in her lap and clasping her blanked. "But I see I've been mistaken. I'm sorry I've bothered you." She took a deep breath in the hope that it would help her to calm down before she forced herself to look back at him again. "Just one more thing, please. Mr Potter…," it hurt calling him by his family name, but she felt it was more appropriate that way. "Do you by any chance have a scar on your forehead?"

He saw Harry furrow his brows confusedly, before carefully stepping closer to her. It looked like he was approaching some kind of wild animal and Hermione wondered, what he must think of her. Finally, he stopped right next to her bed, before looking her into the eyes. "I don't have a scar, Miss Granger. Do you want to take a look, to convince yourself?"

Hermione swallowed but nodded. "That would be very much appreciated, yes. I'm sorry if this sounds barmy to you, but the Harry Potter I knew, most definitely had a scar."

Her former friend smiled at her, before lowering himself down to her and brushing his hair from his face. And he hadn't lied. There wasn't the tiniest scar in sight or any other mark for that matter. She blinked confusedly.

"There's no scar," she murmured absentmindedly and stared at the three of them. Malfoy studied her with something like academic interest, whereas Ron just looked somewhat annoyed. Hermione shook her head confusedly, before sinking into deep thoughts. She didn't even register when the boys said their hasty goodbyes and left the room with Malfoy in tow. Because she seriously didn't care. She felt like Alice in Wonderland after falling down the rabbit hole. The question was now: how did she find her way back again?


	2. Chapter 2

A.N.: Hey everybody, I hope you liked the first chapter. I am currently about 7 chapters into the story and slowly a paring seems to force itself upon me. I am pretty sure now this will be a triad fic again, so if you don't like that sort of stuff, better leave the story now. I won't be insulted or anything. ;-)

Chapter 2: Old friends

6th of September 1999

Hermione stared at the ceiling for the rest of the morning as her thoughts kept spinning in her head. But no matter how long she analysed her situation, it simply didn't make any sense. Was she in some sort of parallel universe? Or was she really mentally ill like Malfoy suggested? She didn't fell ill, but that didn't necessarily mean anything, did it?

A knock on the door pulled her out of her thoughts and when she sat up in bed she saw, that it was Malfoy again, this time with another guest in tow.

"George?" she asked after seeing the tell-tale grin and red hair. Malfoy nodded and stepped aside. George looked very much the same as he had before the beginning of the war. He was all smiles and charm and when she looked closer Hermione could see that this George still had both of his ears.

Their eyes met and Hermione prepared herself for another person without recognition of her, but instead, his eyes lit up in surprise and the redhead simply gaped at her. "Aunty Hermione? Is that you?" he asked and stepped closer to her bed. There he simply sat himself down at the edge of her mattress and stared at her with wide eyes.

"Aunty?" she squeaked and looked back with equal shock. He nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes!" he said and finally his face broke into a smile. "I remember you. You still look the same as you did back then. It's like you didn't age for a single day. How is this possible?"

She looked at him, before turning helplessly towards Malfoy, who scribbled hectically on his parchment. And then she sighed. "I… I don't know," she finally admitted and looked back at him with a sad expression. "I can't remember, George."

He nodded and before Hermione fully registered what he was about to do, he pulled her into his arms and squeezed her tightly. "Don't worry Aunty, we'll find out what happened to you."

Hermione stiffened. "I don't know George," she said and sniffed. "It's even worse, you know. It's not just that I have lost some of my memory I also seem to remember things differently from everybody else." She pulled herself gently out of his arms, before wiping a lonely tear from the corner of her eye. "You see, in my memory I most definitely wasn't your aunt. We… we were friends George, we went to school together."

But George Weasley didn't seem concerned in the least. He just grinned, before pulling her back into his arms. "Whatever Aunty. We'll sort it out, don't worry. Let me just call Fred and my uncles. Merlin, they'll be thrilled to see you. We all thought you were dead, you know?"

But Hermione's head had started spinning again. Fred was alive? It couldn't be, but it would explain this sorrowless version of George, she was suddenly confronted with. After having seen her friend at his lowest it was, like a ray of sunshine had entered her exasperated heart. And who were these uncles he was talking about? Did he mean Fabian and Gideon Prewett? But that was impossible…

George held her for a long time and to Hermione it felt totally strange. She had hugged him before, mostly to console him right after Fred's death. Usually, he had been passive in her arms and rarely he had hugged her back. Only sometimes he had clung to her like she was some sort of lifeline. This time she felt more like a teddy bear or really like an aunty that was hugged by a younger and very affectionate nephew. It was strange but after having experienced the total neutrality of her former closest friends, this unfiltered affection was more than welcome.

George stayed with her for almost an hour and when he left, he did so with the promise to come back later with his brother and uncles in tow. Hermione accepted with a smile, even though she felt more and more lost in this whole situation. It was one thing to meet people that didn't know you any longer or had different memories of you, but it was a whole other level of crazy to meet people, who should have been dead. But it seemed that Hermione would have to just roll with it if she didn't want to end as a permanent resident in the Janus Thickey Ward. And this she most definitely wanted to avoid.

George kept his promise and soon after lunch, which Hermione forced herself to eat, he stormed back into the room. Right behind him entered Fred with his mother in tow and after her another pair of much older twins, that were definitely also somehow related to them. Those two had long, curly hair, that was still red in colour and framed their faces just nicely but wasn't the untamable mess she owned herself. The most striking about those two were their piercing blue eyes though, that stared at her with wonder.

"I told you, it's aunty Hermione," George laughed, before sitting down on the edge of her mattress. Fred followed him immediately and placed himself next to his brother, before staring at her in wonder. She stared right back.

"Fred? Is it really you?" she asked hoarsely and felt like her eyes were about to burst with tears. He nodded with a grin, before hugging her fiercely around the middle.

"Who else would it be but your favourite nephew?" he asked cheekily before giving her a wet, slobbery kiss on the cheek. At that she wrinkled her nose and wiped the spot with her sleeve.

"Don't _do_ that, Fred," she scolded him. "It makes me feel a million years old."

It must have been some kind of magical phrase because suddenly the whole room burst into giggles. "That's definitely Hermione," one of the older male redheads said, before stepping behind Fred.

"Merlin Hermione, it's good to see you again. How did you end up in 1999? We all thought you died on us."

Hermione stared at the man with wide eyes, before looking at George with pleading eyes. "George? Didn't you tell them?" she asked and couldn't help the uncertainty that crept into her voice.

"Tell us what?" Molly asked from behind and finally stepped closer, too. Hermione sighed heavily.

"I… I can't remember," she finally said and looked at her with lost eyes. "I am not only lacking the memory of the last four months, but some of my memories also don't match with the ones other people have."

With that, she looked back at the two older male redheads with sad eyes. "I'm sorry because the two of you two seem to know me somehow. But I need to be honest with you. I have no idea who you are."

Molly gasped behind her and Hermione could tell that her words had hurt the man that was standing behind Fred because his eyes became unbelievably sad. Still, he put on a brave face and a charming smile before replying: "Well, then I should probably introduce myself to you again. I'm Gideon Prewett and this next to Molly is my twin brother Fabian."

Hermione nodded and cast him a nice smile. "Nice to meet you, Gideon. May I ask you how the two of us have met?" But before the man could even answer her question she gasped, as pain suddenly exploded behind her eyes. And in the next moment, the world around her disappeared in a whirlwind of pictures.

2nd of May 1999

Hermione had never been one for big festivities, but now that she stood in the spotlight, it was even worse. The press was stalking her and following her around like a swarm of annoying flies. All people, that deemed themselves important, wanted to be seen with her, talk to her and wanted their picture taken with her on it. And it was driving Hermione mad.

Coming back to Hogwarts to finish her education had been a good idea. Not only did she enjoy being back at Hogwarts and spending every free minute in the library, but she had also taken personal lessons from professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick. Both of them tried to convince her to come back as an apprentice next year and Hermione honestly considered the possibility. She had always enjoyed helping Ron and Harry out with their essays and this year she dedicated some of her free time to lead study groups for arithmancy and transfiguration. And she was most certainly enjoying herself. But coming back to Hogwarts had also the very nice advantage that she was unreachable for the press for the time being. Harry and Ron were almost constantly featured in the daily prophet and more than once they complained in their letters about being stalked by the press. She had no problems to believe Harry's annoyance, but with Ron, she wasn't so sure. Hermione could as well imagine, that he was secretly enjoying the attention, as he had finally managed to distinguish himself from his other siblings. And Hermione was happy for him. But she herself was glad to be behind the thick wards of Hogwarts, where she could enjoy her peace and quiet. Well, until today. Today were the festivities for the end of the last wizarding war and the grounds of Hogwarts were swarmed by ministry employees and press alike. And for Hermione, there was no hiding. It was like everybody as determined to catch up all the lost opportunities to interview the muggle-born war hero Hermione Granger or to at least be seen with her. And quite frankly: Hermione couldn't wait for the day to be finally over. Almost all the Weasleys attended the celebrations. Bill stood proudly next to his heavily pregnant but beautiful wife and even Charly had come from Romania and stood with his parents and Ron with a grim and protective face. Even George was there, but he stood in the back of the crowd and when Hermione finally managed to get a good look at him, she almost gasped in shock. He looked years older and his eyes were dull and almost lifeless when he looked back at her. His whole body had gotten thin like a whip and his ginger hair was saggy and hung limply from his head. Hermione was shocked. It was obvious that the man needed help, that he was suffering and most likely drowning. And Hermione couldn't let that happen. But as much as Hermione tried, she didn't get a chance to talk to George for the rest of the day and when she finally managed to shake off her annoying band of followers, the man had already disappeared. It was beyond frustrating! The memory of his gaunt and tired eyes kept haunting her and so she found her way into the headmistress' office as soon as the festivities had died down for the day.

"Miss Granger, what can I do for you?" the stern woman greeted her with a warm smile and motioned towards the cushioned chair in front of her desk. Hermione stepped into the office with ease, as she had been there countless times before during the last year. "Has this visit something to do with your duties as Head Girl? Or did you come to talk to me about the position I offered you some time ago?"

Hermione shook her head and sat down. "I'm afraid it's neither headmistress, although I am almost sure I'll accept your offer by the end of the school year. But this evening I have come to ask a favour of you, professor."

Professor McGonagall looked at her with warm eyes. "Well, do speak up, then my dear," she encouraged her and Hermione nodded with a thankful smile.

"This is about George Weasley, professor. Have you seen him today?"

The older woman nodded sadly. "I have and I must admit that I am greatly worried. I know the lad for many years and to see him in such bad shape is making me beyond sad."

Hermione sighed. "We need to help him, professor. I don't know how, but I am determined to find out. I can't see him suffer like that and his family seems to be at a loss what to do with him. Ron has started running the shop for him and even quit Auror training for the time being and his mother is in no shape to help anybody but herself at the moment."

The professor rubbed her temples tiredly. "I understand Miss Granger, but I am not sure what the two of us can do here. What did you have in mind?"

Hermione kneaded her hands. "I don't know yet, but with your permission, I would like to travel to his flat today and talk to him. I am not sure if it will be of any use, but I am determined to try. Would that…. Would you grant me permission to leave the castle, professor?"

Minerva cast her a motherly smile. "You are the best and most trustworthy student this school has seen in years, Miss Granger. And the fact that you came to me to ask for permission instead of deciding things on your own, tells me everything I need to know. You may leave the castle until tomorrow evening."

Hermione cast the older witch a thankful smile. "Thank you, Professor. I promise to be careful. May I use your floo or shall I apparate from outside the wards?"

The professor looked at her sternly. "You may use the floo in this office. Please see to it, that you'll be back for dinner tomorrow. I'd like to discuss your visit with you afterwards."

Hermione nodded. "Very well, professor. And thank you so much."

2nd of May 1999

George's flat was dark when Hermione stumbled from the floo into the living room. She had never been here before but it was obvious that the place was in comparable bad shape to its owner. The floor was littered with empty bottles of firewhiskey and takeaway boxes, coated with a layer of dirt and grime. But the worst of all was the smell of the place. It was a mix of alcohol, rotten food and sickness that Hermione would have seen fit for a pub in Knockturn alley, but not for a flat housing a heartbroken bachelor.

"George?" Hermione called into the darkness, before taking a careful step forward. Still, she must have stepped on something as she heard the crunching sound of glass under her shoe. "George? It's Hermione," she called again, but there was no answer. The uneasiness in her stomach grew. What if he wasn't at home? Was he frequenting one of the countless pubs in the darker areas of London? Hermione straightened her back. It didn't matter. She had time until tomorrow evening and sooner or later George would have to come back home. She was determined to wait for him. And in the meantime, she could as well make herself useful.

George's living room was cleaned within half an hour. Hermione was by no means an expert at house-hold spells but she had taught herself enough to do basic cleaning and laundry. She would always prefer to do the cooking by hand but that was a relict of her muggle ancestry. And Hermione was fine with that as she enjoyed cooking quite a lot. It was a bit like potions but less challenging and much more rewarding if done correctly.

Next Hermione moved to the bathroom. She would have to use the facilities sooner or later and she wanted to make sure, that they were usable should the need arise. But as soon as she opened the door, she rushed in into the room with a gasp. There on the floor was George, passed out in a puddle of his own sickness and damp with sweat. She rushed to his side with a sob.

"George!" she called and vanished the vomit on the floor and on his clothes with a flick of her wand. Then she sunk down on her knees next to him and pulled him up. But his head just lolled dangerously to the side. "George, please wake up. It's Hermione," she called again, but her friend didn't stir. Did he drink himself into obliviation? Or had he possibly hurt himself? Hermione didn't know and she cursed herself for her lack of knowledge with diagnostic spells. She could perform do basic healing spells, but what was the use, if she couldn't tell if it was needed?

" 'mione?" George's voice suddenly pulled her out of her musings. She touched his unshaven cheek and cupped it with her hand.

"Yeah, it's me. I was worried about you, so I came over. Are you alright? Do you need help getting up?" she asked and searched his face frantically with her eyes. Just then he blinked and looked at her with blurry eyes.

" 'm sad, Hermione. Everything hurts, always hurts," he mumbled before tears welled up in his eyes and flowed down his cheeks.

"Oh George," she sighed and cradled his head with her hands. "How can I help you?"

"Just stay with me for a bit, would you? I'm so alone, so cold," he mumbled before his eyes closed again and his head sagged to the side. Hermione nodded under tears. "Of course," she said before pulling him into her lap. "I'll be here George. Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Help

3rd of May 1999

After George had fallen back asleep again, Hermione had levitated him into his bed and positioned herself right next to him. It was a tight fit as George only owned a single size bed, but it would do for a night. Maybe it wasn't appropriate to crawl into bed with your boyfriend's brother but she was sure Ron would understand considering the circumstances. And it wasn't like anything was going to happen between the two of them. Hermione was just here for comfort and she was determined to give the lonely twin at least that much.

Her thoughts drifted back to the fate of the Weasley family. She could understand why Mrs Weasley thought, that her family was paying the price. Because basically, they were. It wasn't just the dead brothers and son she had to mourn. Mr Weasley had always suffered for his status as blood traitor and money had always been scarce because of the salary he was getting from the ministry. Bill had gotten his injuries while fighting in the war, too, and as far as Hermione knew, he had never been compensated. She was sure that it would have been differently if he had been a Malfoy. Hermione could still remember, how Draco had been scratched by Buckbead after he had provoked him. The animal was ordered to be put down, for basically nothing. What would have happened, if Malfoy had been in Bill's place when Greyback had attacked? There would at least been some sort of monetary compensation, that much was sure.

It was all unfair and not for the first time Hermione wished, that she could do anything to help, anything to change this unfair and totally messed up situation. But she couldn't. And Hermione hated it. She must have fallen asleep after some time because when she awoke from George's pained moaning, she was pressed against his chest and it was the middle of the night.

"George?" she asked uncertainly, but her friend just kept shifting and moaning. He was having a nightmare, Hermione realized. She gently turned around in his arms, before carefully shaking his shoulder. "George, George wake up," she whispered and after a moment the man awoke with a gasp.

"Hu?" he asked and looked at her confusedly. "Hermione? What are you doing here? Are you in my bed?" He stared at her with wide eyes. Hermione smiled sadly.

"Don't you remember, George?" she asked, but she knew the answer already. "I… I found you in the bathroom. You weren't well…"

George groaned. "I asked you to stay, didn't I? Merlin, that's just pathetic, isn't it?" I smiled crookedly at her, but the smile didn't reach his eyes.

Hermione shook her head in sympathy. "Don't say that, George. It's not pathetic!" She said and looked at him sternly. "It's obvious that you're not well and it's nothing to be ashamed of. Do you hear me?"

He pulled himself up into a sitting position and looked at her sadly. He didn't say anything for a long time and Hermione could see the struggle within him. But she didn't rush him and waited patiently next to him.

"Did you know that Percy blames himself for Fred?" he finally said and stared straight ahead.

Hermione frowned. "Why would he do that?"

"We made up just minutes ago and Fred revelled in the situation. He was even more reckless than usual. If he would just have paid more attention… not have been so distracted…" George closed his eyes to hide his pain, but the tears still found their way down his face. At first, he cried silently, but soon heavy sobs were wracking his body. Hermione pulled him into her arms and started to stroke his back soothingly. And he clung to her like she was some sort of lifeline.

"It's nobody's fault," she finally murmured. "It was a war George and we could as well all be dead by now. But we aren't, Okay? We aren't dead and I don't want you to blame yourself for surviving, do you hear me? Fred wouldn't have wanted that…"

But at that, he just sobbed harder and the only thing she could do was holding him silently.

"I'm trying Hermione, I really do. I know Fred would have wanted me to live, but I can't…" George admitted after the sobs had finally subdued.

"What do you mean, you can't?" she asked alarmed. He sighed tiredly.

"Fred and I are magical twins. It's rare and therefore not much is known about the bond but… magical twins usually die together. Until last year I didn't know why, but now I understand. It is like a part of me dyed, too. And it's getting worse…"

Hermione looked at him in shock. "No… there must be something we can do, George." Her head already started spinning, looking for a way out, but the sad fact was, that she knew almost nothing about magical twins at all. But there needed to be something, anything…

"Don't bother Hermione. I read the books, I've read them all. There's nothing to be done. I have a few more weeks, probably less by the rate, this is going. The only way to save me would be bringing back Fred and we both know this is impossible."

She shook her head unbelievingly, as the first sob escaped her. Then the tears started coming and refuse to stop.

"Don't cry, Hermione. Please don't be sad because of this, because I'm not. I'm kind of looking forward do see him again, you know." But that sentence made it only worse for her and she threw herself into his arms, where she cried until no tears seemed to be left in her. George didn't say anything the whole time but rocked her slightly in his arms and she almost felt bad, that he was the one consoling her now.

Hermione didn't know how long it took, but finally, she managed to calm herself down. "Is there anything I can do for you, George? Anything at all? I could write to professor McGonagall and ask for a leave. I'm sure she'll grant me one considering the circumstances. You don't need to be alone if you don't want to be. I could stay until…" She couldn't say it, couldn't even think it.

He sighed tiredly. "I know you would, Hermione. I can never ask that of you. And I don't want you to remember me like that. I want you to remember me like I was … before. Not this empty shell, because honestly, that's all that is left here. The George you knew is already gone." With that, he looked at her with sad eyes and took her hand. Before she knew what was happening, he had pressed something small and heavy into her palm.

"I want you to take that, Hermione. This watch had once belonged to my uncle Gideon. Mum gave it to me, after … after we buried Fred. It helped me through the last year, you know. Fabian and Gideon were also magical twins and they already went the way, that I am about to go. I no longer need the watch, as I'm almost there. But maybe you would consider wearing it?"

The tears had started bursting from her eyes again, and she wiped them away angrily, before putting the watch on her wrist. It was way too big for her, but she would adjust it later. It was all so unfair. How could she survive burying another Weasley, another friend? And what would happen with Percy, when he learned of his brother' fate? What would happen to Ron, to Ginny, to his parents? It wasn't fair, it all wasn't fair. It was _really_ the Weasley's paying the price for all that went wrong with the wizarding world. But Hermione was no longer going to accept it, she wouldn't.

"I'm not letting you die, George. I won't," she said and looked at her friend with moist eyes. "I don't care what I have to do, George, but I'll save you. I swear it."

George looked at her with almost something like panic. "Hermione, don't make such promises. You don't know what you're saying." But his words just made her more and more determined and she shook her head resolutely.

"You're wrong, George because I mean it. I meant every word of it. And now listen closely. I, Hermione Granger, swear that I will save you. I will save you even if that means bringing back Fred or changing the cause of history. I am not accepting the fate that is forced on you and your family. I don't care what it will cost me, George. I will save you. I swear it on my magic."

He looked at her with a gasp and first Hermione didn't understand, but then she saw the fine golden threads of light that had started forming around her and his body. They encircled their hands, arms, legs and as the first one wrapped itself around her throat, her world started spinning. George lurched forward, tried to grab her, but his arms just went through her like she was made of air. Her eyes widened in shock but as their eyes met for a last time, she didn't feel an ounce of fear and so she smiled at him. Because Hermione had meant it - every word of it. She would save them and she didn't care if she was the one paying the price in the end.

25th of April 1981

When Hermione's world shifted back in focus, she was no longer in George's flat. She wasn't even sure if she was still in London, as she finally found herself in a street full of small, white houses that all looked more or less alike. Where in Merlin's name was she? And more importantly, what happened to her? It must have had something to do with the oath, that she had given George. She knew that such a promise would attach itself to her magic, she had almost counted on it. But she had never heard that it could also cause teleportation. But Hermione didn't doubt, that there was a reason her magic had brought her here. And she was determined to find out what the reason was.

With a flick of her wrist, she pulled out her wand and shrunk the watch on her wrist, so that it fit her comfortably. It had not fallen off through her journey and Hermione was determined to not lose it. It was a gift from George and no matter what happened, the watch would remind her of their friendship and the promise she had given him. Hermione studied the watch carefully. It was clearly a man's watch as the clock face was still much too big for her wrist but the design was extravagant. Unlike other watches, it had stars as clock hands that moved their circles above a night-blue, shimmering background. It was beautiful!

A loud bang from the neighbourhood pulled her out of her thoughts. It was like being thrown back into the middle of the battle of Hogwarts. Her body instantly seemed to know what was happening, had registered the direction of the spellfire and started moving into that direction, even before her head had fully realized what was happening. But Hermione was alright with that. She had no problems with her subconsciousness taking the lead if it was helping her to survive the next hours.

Another loud bang rang through the air and finally, Hermione could make out the origins of the noise. Within the row of white houses, there was one house standing out like a sore thumb, as it was at least double the size and painted in bright red and gold. It didn't take an expert so see that it was a wizarding home – and it was currently under attack by five black-robed, masked figures. Hermione shivered as goosebumps started spreading on her skin. Death eaters, she thought and her heart started beating violently in her chest. For a short moment, Hermione closed her eyes and reminded herself of the promise she had given and the reason she had deemed it necessary. Then she gripped her wand tightly and started running. They didn't see her coming, as she came from behind and they clearly weren't expecting being attacked. And Hermione used this advantage with the determination of somebody, that had seen all the distress those masked bastards had caused. The first two silently cast stunners took out two of her enemies before they even realized that something was wrong. They sunk into their knees without an ounce of resistance which was giving Hermione something like grim satisfaction when she saw the heads of the three remaining death eaters whip around to her. Duelling three of them at once was suicide, but Hermione didn't care. Instead, she fired off a modified bluebell-flame-spell that Flitwick had taught her. She had never truly seen it in action, but as the flames touched her enemy's robes, they lit up like torches and even though they didn't truly burn or harm, they still made it feel like they did.

"You'll regret this, bitch!" she heard the shriek of rage and Hermione could have sworn, that it was Bellatrix Lestrange shouting at her. But before she had time to fully consider that fact, a sickly green spell hit her into the chest. And Hermione's world went black.

"They killed her Arthur, I saw it," a foreign voice murmured close to her ear, before she felt, that her body was gently lifted up. "She went at them like a berserk, didn't even shield herself and just kept casting."

At that, the person carrying her must have started moving, as her world suddenly started shaking. "I've no idea where she suddenly came from as Gideon and I just tried to hold up the wards as long as we could. But I'm sure it would have only been a matter of minutes until they had gotten to us." This time it was another person talking, one further away even though his voice sounded pretty similar to the first one.

"Let's bring her into your house, boys. If she really saved you, then she at least deserves to be buried properly. We might not know her name, but we will remember her, won't we?" This made her listen up. She _knew_ this voice, it belonged to Arthur Weasley. And she didn't like what he was saying. She groaned, and immediately the arms holding her stiffened.

"Merlin, she's alive!" the first voice called in a panic.

"Alive?" Arthur Weasley's voice asked right next to her. "Then we need to send for Molly. She will know what to do."

6th of September 1999

Hermione leapt from her bed with a gasp and looked with wide eyes at the curly-haired man leaning over her bed. She didn't know how long she had been out, but it didn't matter. Because suddenly she remembered.

"You're Fabian and Gideon," she murmured and looked from one to the other in shock. "I… I saved you, didn't I?"

The man on her bed, supposedly Gideon, smiled. "You remember us?" he asked and Hermione couldn't help but hear the hopefulness in his voice.

Hermione nodded. "At least part of it, yes. I… I somehow travelled through time, didn't I?"

Molly and her brothers nodded. "That's what you told us back then, yes. First, we had our doubts of course, but as you always seemed to _know_ things, it kind of made sense after a while." This time it was Fabian talking to her and when he did, his eyes sparkled mischievously. But before Hermione could reply anything to that, Malfoy suddenly appeared next to her bed and looked at her with furrowed brows. "Time travel, hu? I have to admit, this isn't what I expected at all. Frankly, this is out of my depth, Miss Granger. But it explains a lot of things. By going back you must have changed the reality you originally came from. This leads to people suddenly not knowing you and you no longer knowing them."

"Wicked!" Fred and George exclaimed from the back of the room, but Hermione didn't have time to pay them much attention. Instead, she looked at Malfoy wide-eyed. "Whatever I did, I must have changed quite a lot of things that my friends suddenly no longer remember me."

Malfoy nodded and smiled at her crookedly. "That's what I suspect. I'm almost sure that you'll keep remembering more and more of your time in the past, as the days go by. The process is possibly triggered by meeting certain places or certain people. But some memories might also come back on their own. I'm sure sooner or later you'll be able to tell, what exactly happened back then."

She smiled humourlessly. "And you'll keep me locked up here until then?"

At that, Mrs Weasley huffed behind him in annoyance. "Don't be ridiculous! The boys will take you home of course. By Merlin, we have enough experience patching you up. And your healer can visit if he really has to."

She looked at the six of them with wide eyes. "Are you serious? I can go?"

At that two sets of twins nodded enthusiastically, before Gideon said: "Absolutely. You're coming home with us."

At that, something shifted within her chest. _Home_… She didn't even know where exactly that was any longer.

A.N.: Some of you guessed correctly. This is a time travel fic. I always wanted to write one, where also the time after is described. Because this leaves so much potential that can be explored. J


	4. Chapter 4

A.N.: Hey guys, I am totally overwhelmed by your feedback and the number of people following this story. Thank you so much! You have no idea how much that motivates me to write.

I Hope you like this next chapter as well. Let me know what you think.

Chapter 4: Homecoming

7th of September 1999

It took, in fact, another day for Hermione to be released from the hospital, even though Mrs Weasley strongly objected and wanted her home with her brothers immediately. The healers didn't budge and kept Hermione for another set of diagnostics and questions, which she all endured with stoic patience. Hermione was secretly happy to be allowed to stay for another day, before being thrown into a house with two men that were at least fifteen years her senior which she barely even knew. But where else should she go? Her friends no longer knew her and if it was true that Hermione Granger did not exist in this time than she didn't even have a Gringotts vault any longer. She had nothing but the clothes on her body and her wand, which meant that she'd have to get used to accepting charity from strangers. At least until she came back onto her feet again.

Hermione was discharged the next morning. Malfoy was nowhere to be seen and instead she received the prescriptions for her potions from the beautiful blonde healer that had seen her the first day. It was quite a list of potions she would be forced to take for the next two weeks, but Hermione didn't object as her body still felt like she was run over by a lorry.

"Are you decent?" came an uncertain voice from outside, after a soft knock on the door had alerted her of the presence of a visitor. Hermione quickly hopped from her bed and straightened her robe, before she shouted:

"I'm decent. Do come in."

It was Gideon and somehow Hermione wasn't even surprised that he was the one picking her up. Had they been close in the past? Where they maybe even friends? She didn't know and as she listened inside of herself, she only felt uncertain neutrality towards him. She sighed.

Gideon looked at her with his bright blue eyes and studied her almost shyly. "Are you ready to get out of here Hermione? I know how much you detest being in hospitals and I can only imagine that you were starting to get cabin fever in these white walls. You never liked the colour…" The man had started rambling and it was obvious, that he was kind of nervous. And Hermione understood somehow as she could only imagine how it would feel if she would try to have a conversation with Harry now, or even worse – with Ron. Merlin, it hurt thinking about her boyfriend – or should she call him her ex-boyfriend now? The man couldn't even remember her any longer, for god's sake. "Hermione?"

Hermione snapped her head up and looked at her guest with wide eyes. "Sorry, seems like I was miles away," she apologized in mortification.

He looked at her with warm, understanding eyes. "Miles? Or years?" he asked before opening the door for her.

She sighed. "Years, I guess. I'm sorry, but I fear I'll need some time to adjust."

Gideon nodded. "Don't stress yourself, Hermione. I'm sure your memory will come back soon enough. Until then we'll just take things easy, alright?"

She smiled gratefully, even though her stomach churned with uncertainty. Taking it easy? What was that supposed to mean? "Alright," she replied anyway and with a bout of courage, that she didn't feel at all, she took the arm he offered her. "Well, lead the way, young man. I'm not keen on getting lost again."

He grinned before pulling her close. "Don't think I'm letting you out of my sight, anytime soon," he said and flashed her a grin. And the uneasiness within her grew. Merlin, who was this man to her? And who was she to him?

7th of September 1999

Fabian's and Gideon's house still looked, like it had in her memory. It lay indeed in some urban outskirts of London and the white small houses that gave the street its character still looked pretty much the same. She'd have to ask those two for their reason to settle down in such a neighbourhood as it was more fitting for a family like the Dursleys or even the Grangers but not a wizarding family like the Weasleys or the Prewetts, for that matter.

"How do you keep that place a secret for the muggles?" Hermione couldn't help but ask when Gideon led her through the front door into the house and he flashed her a charming smile.

"To them, this house looks exactly like the others. We put some muggle repelling charms on top and combined with the wards we designed, it is a perfectly safe place to stay." He winked at her and something within her clicked.

"I asked you the exact same question years ago, didn't I?" Hermione asked embarrassedly, but he waved her off with a cheeky smile.

"Where would be the fun, if I'd told you that? Nope, I'm not spoiling the fun by telling you everything beforehand. You never did with us."

Hermione looked at him with raised brows. "What do you mean? Is this some sort of payback for something I did in the past?"

He shrugged nonchalantly. "You never told us, what happened to us in your time. Back at St. Mungo's, you said you didn't know who we are, but you knew some of the others. Does that mean you never met us before travelling to the past?"

This time it was Hermione's turn to smile if only to mask the churning of her stomach. "Well, where would be the fun, if I simply told you that?"

He grinned at her boyishly. "Exactly."

25th of April 1981

"Who's that Arthur?" the muted voice of Molly Weasley pulled Hermione back into consciousness. Merlin, she was tired and her body was aching all over. But she seemed to be alive, which was more than she could have hoped for after her run-in with five death eaters. But why was she still alive? And why was she suddenly with Arthur and Molly Weasley?

"She turned up at Fabian's and Gideon's house during a death eater attack," Arthur said, but he was interrupted by one of the other two.

"She saved us, Molls. I swear we'd be dead if she hadn't taken on those five. I've never seen anything like it. Took two of them down like it was nothing."

There was a huff next to her ear and Hermione felt gentle hands probing her face and forearms. She groaned and tried to pry her eyes open.

"Stay still honey," Mrs Weasley's voice urged her. "You got yourself beaten up quite badly. But don't worry, dear. Heaven knows I've had enough practice with these boys running around and playing heroes."

Hermione wanted to reply, she really did, but her body simply wouldn't comply. Instead, she felt her world turning black and before she could say another word she lost consciousness again.

26th of April 1981

The next time Hermione awoke she found herself in a cosy four-poster bed that almost made her feel like she was back at Hogwarts again. But even though her bedding was indeed red, the bed didn't even look remotely like the bed that she had occupied for years in the girl's dorm. The most remarkable about it was the sky, that was projected right there, where the roof of the bed would normally have been. It was a bit like being in the great hall, only on a much smaller scale. And she loved it.

"Look who's awake," a voice to her left said and when Hermione turned her head with a gasp, she saw a curly-haired redhead poking his head through her curtains. "Oh, sorry. Did I startle you? Wasn't my intention. Gid's just left a monitoring charm on you so we'd know when you finally woke up. Took you long enough." It almost sounded like he was pouting.

" 's alright," she slurred and tried to pull herself up into a sitting position, but her world immediately started spinning and she sunk back into her pillow with a grown. "Merlin, I feel totally out of it. What did you give me? That doesn't feel like regular healing potions."

The young man grinned at her. "It's one of the Order's secret recipes. Cures almost everything, but leaves you high like a kite. Don't worry, it will be gone in a bit."

She nodded weakly. "Let's hope you're right. Where am I? And who are you? 'm sorry but I think we haven't met before."

"I'm Fabian Prewett. You're in my and my brother's house. Was the least we could do after you saved our arses."

Hermione groaned. _Fabian Prewett_? That was impossible. Merlin, those potions must have been worse, than she thought. Because she was clearly starting to hallucinate.

7th of September 1999

"This place still looks almost the same," Hermione said breathlessly and looked around in wonder. "You even kept the bed!"

Gideon shrugged next to her unconcernedly. "It's your room. Of course, we kept it."

She stared at him with a wrinkled forehead. "But you thought I'm dead. At least that is what George told me. Why would you still keep the room?"

But her host waved her off with a careless grin. "Nah, the house is huge. We had enough space even without this room. And it was nice to have a place to remember you by."

Hermione stared at him full of confusion, before sitting down on the edge of her bed. "I'm sorry you had to mourn me," she said and couldn't help that her voice was growing thick. "I… I buried a lot of people … friends… in my old life and I know how painful it is. I'm sorry you had to go through this."

With a sigh he sat himself down right next to her and before she could react, he had taken her hands into his. "I won't lie to you Hermione, it was hard. I was at your side when it… happened. Merlin, I was so sure we'd lost you and sometimes I blamed myself for your death. It was stupid, really, but I couldn't help it."

She nodded in understanding. "Well, there's nothing to blame yourself for," she said lightheartedly and forced herself to smile. "As you see I'm not dead at all." With that, she pulled her fingers out of his grasp and jumped from the bed. It was so strange sitting together with this almost stranger like they were friends. The man was surely Snape's or Lupin's age and even though she had been friendly with the latter, they had never been friends exactly. Not that she minded befriending somebody his age, not really, but as long as she couldn't be sure about his intentions towards her, she'd keep him at arm's length. Everything else simply felt strange.

26th of April 1981

When Hermione was finally able to crawl out of her bed, it was already past noon. Fabian had left her room soon after the end of their conversation and Hermione had kept her eyes fixed on the enchanted ceiling of the bed. And she started thinking. Had her vow towards George really thrown her into the past? It was possible of course, as changing the past was possibly the only way to keep her promise towards her friend, but she had never heard or read about people who had have travelled time that way. But if she had really gone back and saved the Prewett twins, then she had already started to change things. And nobody could tell what consequences this would have.

Hermione slowly walked towards the door and opened it as silently as possible. She wasn't sure if she was allowed to leave the room, but when her head had stopped spinning she had realized how hungry she was. And as it felt strange to simply shout for somebody, she decided to look for the kitchen on her own. But she hadn't even fully closed the door behind her when she heard quick pounding steps on the chairs.

"Mummy, mummy, she's awake!" a small redhead shouted and ran towards her. Just a second later she saw another very similar redhead appear just behind him. The two of them rushed towards her full of energy and squeals until they came to an abrupt halt right in front of her.

"Are you the mystery lady that saved our uncles?" the first of them wanted to know and stared at her with curious brown eyes.

"Mummy said, you're some kind great witch, but I think you look totally normal. Shouldn't a great witch be old or something? You're just a _girl_."

Hermione giggled and suddenly she knew who those two identical redheads in front of her were. "Well Fred and George, I'm sorry if I have to disappoint you. But it looks like even a _girl_ like me can sometimes do something great like saving a life. I'm Hermione by the way."

The two of them gaped at her with wide eyes. "Mummy! She knows our names!" one of them, most likely Fred, shouted before bolting down the stairs. "She's _really_ some kind of great witch." With that, he was off and the other little redhead looked back and forth between her and the direction in that his brother had disappeared. But after a moment he seemed to have come to the conclusion to stay with her.

"You're really _cool_," he said with eyes full of adoration before offering her his hand. "Do you want to be my friend? Fred and I don't have friends. We usually just play together, which is fine as we really like each other. It's dangerous to go out, my mum says, and so we hardly meet _anybody_. But now I've met _you_. You're cool and you look like you're not afraid to play outside. It's okay that you're a girl, you know? I still want to be your friend. Do you want to be my friend, too?" At that, his eyes transformed into something like puppy eyes and Hermione could hardly suppress the giggle that wanted to escape her mouth. When she had first met Fred and George they had already been lanky thirteen-year-old teenagers. Nothing could have prepared her for these cute three-year-old versions of the future pranksters.

"I'd love to be your friend, George," she said with a huge smile and took his hand. "Under one condition. If you ever feel like pranking somebody, I want in. It's been ages since I've seen a good prank."

The redhead squealed and shook her hand enthusiastically. Then he bolted from her side and rushed down the stairs. "Fred! Fred! She wants to do pranks with us! She's _really_ cool! And she's my _friend_ now!" he boasted and Hermione could no longer suppress the nostalgic sigh escaping her mouth. It warmed her heart to see George that happy again, even if it was just a tiny three-year-old version of him. And at that moment she decided that she'd do anything to never see the broken-spirited man again, that he had been in her future. Hermione Granger would save him from that fate. No matter what she had to do to accomplish that.


	5. Chapter 5

A.N.: Wow, I am blown away by your interest in the story and I really hope I won't disappoint you with what I have planned for the next chapters. I was asked about an update-schedule for this story, but this is difficult to predict. It's pretty safe to say that there will be at least one update per week, but there might be more. But that highly depends on how life is treating me and my free time I guess.

Chapter 5: Trust me

26th of April 1981

Hermione had just to follow the sound of excited chatter to find the kitchen. There a much younger and definitely pregnant Molly Weasley stood in front of the stove and cooked, while the rest of the kitchen was occupied by two hyperactive and giggling twins and a redheaded toddler, that could be no other than Ron. The baby-version of her boyfriend, Merlin it was weird to even think that, sat on a blanket in the corner of the room, stuffed something that looked like cookies into his mouth and munched on them happily. The sight was almost too much for Hermione and she could only barely suppress a delighted giggle.

"I see you're up, dear," the matron said and looked at her with calculating eyes. "Feeling better?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes, thank you," she replied politely. "I'm still a bit sore all over but I'm sure that will fade soon enough. But I was wondering… is there maybe some food around? Must have been a while since I have had something to eat."

Molly sighed before a wave of her wand produced a plate filled with mashed potatoes, beans and meat on the table. "Cutlery is in the drawer over there," she said, before looking sternly at her older sons. "And you two leave her alone. And forget this nonsense about being friends with her. She's a total stranger after all and these are dangerous times."

Hermione swallowed heavily and looked at the twins that backed away from her while grumbling something in the direction of their mother. At that, Molly sighed tiredly. "I'm sorry if I can't be as welcoming, as I might usually be. But these are dangerous times. And even though you saved my brothers, you're a stranger to us, which is suspicious in a small wizarding community as ours."

Hermione nodded. "Don't worry, I understand. You need to protect your family and that's only right. I won't bother you any longer than necessary." With that, she sat down on the table and slowly started eating. Molly was an excellent cook in Hermione's time, but she was obviously already skilled at cooking back then. Hermione sighed with pleasure. But Molly looked at her with an unreadable expression.

"I fear we can't let you go just yet. Your little rescue mission of my brothers made quite an impression and there is somebody that would like a little chat with you before you disappear on us again." She looked at her with piercing eyes. "It's nothing you need to worry about if you don't want us any harm. But as I said, these are dangerous times."

Hermione looked at her uneasily and suddenly the delicious food on her tongue tasted like sawdust. Who was it, that wanted do meet her? Someone from the ministry? Or did they send the Aurors for her? But she willed herself to stay calm. It was no use to start getting skittish and making herself even more suspicious. She'd take this hurdle when she came to it. And until then she would use her time and plan. Because if she really wanted to change the future, then there was still much work ahead of her. And sooner or later she would need some help. The question was just, whom she could trust?

7th of September 1999

Hermione inspected her room with a precision that would be more fitting for a crime scene. After Gideon had finally left her alone with the promise to make some lunch, she opened all the wardrobes and drawers and inspected their content. To her delight, they weren't empty but filled with clothes and some trinkets that seemed to have belonged to her. At least she got some quick flickers of memories after she touched some of them. She remembered wearing the yellow summer dress and staring into the sky on a big green meadow or duelling with a high-spirited laugh in the chequered shirt and shorts in some sort of training room. But it was only small flashes of memories that came back to her and not really something that would help her with the problem at hand: figuring out those twins, that were currently hosting her so readily. Was it because she had saved their lives years ago? Or was there more history between the three of them? She didn't know and she hated not knowing something.

After being finished with the drawers, Hermione inspected the rest of the room. There was a desk at the window, but here everything was empty and not a single book could be found. Disappointing. Didn't she read when she was living at this house? All in all the room was immaculately clean and not a grain of dust could be found anywhere. Did these two have a house elf or was this place recently cleaned? Again she didn't know, but she was determined to find out, even though Gideon hadn't exactly been forthcoming with information. Would that change, if she told him something in return? It was worth finding out, she guessed.

Before she went downstairs, she changed out of her old clothes into jeans and a comfortable knitted jumper that somehow reminded her of the ones that Mrs Weasley had always knitted for Christmas. This one was thinner though and had an elegant pattern around the bust and the sleeves, but that didn't matter. It reminded her of home and of people that now most likely couldn't even remember her – people that she started to miss very badly.

Finally, she left her room silently and padded down the stairs to find the kitchen. Luckily she could remember its position now and had, therefore, no problems finding it. The scene she found there made her giggle hysterically though. On every surface there where used pots and pans and remains of different ingredients, that had ended there for no obvious reason. It was like stepping on a battleground. And the flour-covered man in the middle was the obvious loser of the fight.

"Merlin, what happened to this place? Did Molly's twins hide some of their joke products or was there some kind of explosion? Or maybe an earthquake? No, I'd probably have felt that one." She couldn't help but giggle at the pouting face, that the man-made at her.

"Fabian wasn't here to save the day but I wanted to prepare something nice for you. Who could have guessed that this stuff is so _difficult_? With Molly, it always looks like child's play…"

She giggled even more before waving her wand expertly and letting all the mess disappear. "So no house-elf to save the day?" she grinned at him cheekily. He huffed in annoyance.

He snorted. "The Prewetts might be an old pureblood family but we were never very much into this kind of thing. We prefer to get our hand dirty as you can see." He held his hands up. They looked like some sort of dough had dried on them and he wiggled his fingers with a grin. "Don't worry, the pastries are already in the oven. But I don't mind your help with cleaning up this mess. I always wondered if keeping and restoring order was a secret talent of yours."

Hermione shrugged before grinning embarrassedly. "Does giving your friends colour coded schoolwork-planners count as a talent?"

He snorted. "Did you really do that? Let me guess: they were positively _thrilled_ at their gift."

"Something like that, yeah. Was the perfect Christmas gift for two teenage boys." She grinned fondly at the memory.

Dinner was ready shortly after and even though Gideon's pastries looked horrible, they actually tasted quite good. They sat themselves down at the kitchen table and after a moment of hesitation, Hermione decided to take the chair across from him at the table. First, they ate in companionable silence but in the end, her curiosity won out and she decided to try getting some information from him. "What is it you and your brother are actually doing for a living?"

Gideon looked at her with twinkling eyes. "I've got a mastery in charms, while Fabian is more into transfiguration. We never felt like teaching though and working for the ministry was never an option. So we finally ended up as professional warders, even though that is not, what we originally studied. But we are quite adept at it now and we do some freelance work in the other fields now and then."

She looked at him in awe. "Warding is brilliant. I did some basic wards before… well… I was on the run once and I and my friends thought it a brilliant idea to hide in a tent in the woods. The wards might have been nothing special, but they fulfilled their purpose…most times."

Gideon looked at her with raised eyebrows. "That sounds like an interesting story," he said with a small smile. "Maybe you'd like to share it with me one day. Would you like to show me the wards you did back then? Maybe I could teach you a thing or two."

She smiled shyly. "I can show you the wards after lunch. As for the story… maybe I'll share it with you someday. But at the moment… maybe if we get to know each other a bit better."

He smiled unconcernedly. "You don't trust me and that's alright. I know the feeling all too well. I promise you, Fabian and I don't want you any harm. You can trust us. But you'll hopefully learn that on your own soon enough."

Hermione nodded uncomfortably and with a pounding heart. Why did she suddenly feel like bolting from the room? "I hope so, too. Just… give me some time, yeah? I'm just so confused at the moment, that's all. There are all these memories inside of me and sometimes… sometimes I no longer know what's real. Well, that's not even true. For me all these things _were_ real and it is just so hard to put some things behind me…"

Gideon looked at her sadly. "I know exactly what you mean. Putting things behind you can be… hard. And sometimes it's simply not possible. Just know that I'm there for you. And I mean that in a totally non-creepy way."

She laughed and after swallowing down the last bit of her lunch, she got up from her chair. "Now… about those wards, do you want to have a look?"

Her host grinned charmingly. "It would be my pleasure."

26th of April 1981

Hermione went back to her room after finishing her meal in the kitchen. Conversation between her and Mrs Weasley had more or less been none existent and after being told that she would be kept here until having met some ominous interested party she didn't feel like talking anyway. Instead, she ate her lunch broodingly and observed younger Weasleys that kept throwing her smiles and glances secretly. Seeing that they hadn't given up their idea of befriending her warmed her heart. Because next to Harry those three redheads were the persons, she considered her best friends. And if there was a chance of getting only a fraction of that back, she'd grab it with both hands. Those three were family for her, even if they didn't know jet.

Fabian and Gideon came to see her when it was late afternoon. She had spent most of the day dozing on the bed and watching the enchanted ceiling of her bed with tired eyes. Still, she felt worlds better than she had in the morning.

"Are you awake?" one of them, she still had some problems telling them apart, asked after opening her door for a small slit.

"I'm up, do come in," she replied and just a few seconds later the two of them were standing in front of her bed and stared at her uncertainly. She hadn't heard much about the twin uncles of Fred and George, but they looked as alike as her friends. Their hair was darker and longer though and fell in soft curls around their faces and their eyes were of a stunning, piercing blue.

"Hello," one of them said politely but with some distance in his voice. "I'm Fabian Prewett, that's my brother Gideon. We've seen each other yesterday, but I'm not sure how much of it you can still remember. You seemed pretty out of it."

She nodded embarrassedly. "Yeah. Those potions did quite a number on me. I'm Hermione, Hermione Granger. Thank you for taking me in. I'm still not sure what exactly happened to me though."

They looked at each other uncertainly. "You came to our house, while it was under attack," Fabian explained.

Hermione nodded. "Yeah, I remember that part. I think I managed to take two of them out from behind. They didn't expect to be attacked I guess. But then I was hit, wasn't I? I didn't recognize the spell, but it knocked me out quite thoroughly."

Gideon nodded seriously. "That part is a mystery to us too and we hoped you could help us with that one. Because I'm pretty sure you were hit by a killing curse."

She looked at him with a stunned expression. "Are you serious? But…" she looked down at herself and her mind already started to analyse what she had seen before being knocked out. "I… I think you might be correct. I remember seeing a yet of green light…" She shook her head, before looking back at them. They were studying her with wary expressions. Hermione sighed. "I have to think about that fact. If it really was the killing curse, then there needs to be an explanation why I'm not dead. There is only one person who…" At that, she stopped with her sentence and looked at them with wide eyes. She remembered Harry's words towards Voldemort during the final battle. Of course! He had said that he had willingly given his life for all of his friends and by that he had put the same protection on her, that he had gotten from his mother. But did this make her immune to the killing curse cast by just anyone? It couldn't have been Voldemort casting on her… None of Harry's friends had been wounded during the final battle after he had given his life for them, no matter whom they had duelled, so it was a possibility that she had been protected during her fight through Harry. She furrowed her brows.

Hermione sighed before looking back at the two men in front of her, who studied her with a guarded expression. "Well, there might be an explanation, but I'll have to look into it."

They nodded reluctantly and sighed. "Hermione, it's not that we aren't thankful for what you did for us. Without you, this could have ended very badly. But… you know… my grandma always said that, if something looks too good to be true than it is probably not true. And you saving us, out of nowhere… why were you even in the area? It is a muggle area after all. Then you mysteriously surviving a supposed killing curse…" he trailed off, but Hermione knew where he was going. And if he put it like that, it did sound highly suspicious. But she couldn't very well tell them the truth, could she? Not, if she didn't know if she could trust them. But that was exactly the problem, wasn't it? They didn't trust each other and that meant that there was nothing left to say between the three of them.

She sighed. "I understand, I really do. And I'm sorry I can't tell you more. Don't worry, I'll do exactly as you say. Should I stay in the room? Do you want me to go? It's fine with me."

Fabian and Gideon looked at her with hard eyes. "Stay here for now. You have access to the bathroom and the kitchen. Don't bother with the other rooms, we warded them quite thoroughly." She nodded and filed that information away for later. They could do some grade of warding then - interesting.

"Alright," Hermione agreed and looked at them with a polite smile. "Do you need anything else?"

Fabian nodded. "We want you to meet somebody tomorrow. He'll come to our place in the morning."

Hermione hummed in agreeance. "Yeah, your sister already told me. I'll meet him, whoever he is."

They nodded in unison. "Excellent," they said and without another word, they turned around and left the room. Well, it looked like she'd have to wait for tomorrow then. Until then she was stuck. But that was alright. She still had plans to make, if she wanted to go through with her idea to change the future. _For George_, she whispered to herself and cast a long look at the watch on her wrist. She had given him an oath and she was determined to keep it.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Truth or dare?

7th of September 1999

The rest of her day was spent pleasantly enough and even though Hermione still felt uncomfortable spending time alone with two strangers that could very well be her dad, her unconsciousness had accepted the situation and Hermione managed to relax somewhat in their presence. Fabian joined the two of them for dinner, which he promptly provided in form of take-away. He had somehow managed to get his hands on Chinese noodles and Hermione gave a hum of delight after she took the first spoon full into her mouth.

"Gods, that's delicious," she said with big eyes and he grinned at her.

"Still like the stuff, do you?" he said with a twinkle of his eyes.

"You knew?" she said somewhat shocked before realization hit her. "Of course you knew. Sorry, it's just all so strange. You seem to know quite a lot about me and I know almost… nothing."

He smiled kindly at her. "That will change Hermione, don't worry. The healer said your memory will come back. We just need to be patient with each other and let you meet the right people."

Hermione wanted to grumble, but then she put another mouth full of the delicious food into her mouth and sighed in delight. "You really do know, how to make a girl feel better, do you?"

He grinned self-assuredly and Hermione grinned back, before asking with a cheeky grin: "Broken many hearts, have you? Any girlfriend I need to know about? Not that I mind," she said quickly after she saw Gideon choking on his food with a beet-red face. "…I just don't want to stumble upon anything and cause unnecessary embarrassment."

Fabian looked at her with a slight blush on his cheeks but seemed otherwise unaffected compared to his brother, who was wheezing to his left. "No girlfriend or boyfriend for that matter. So don't worry. You won't stumble across anything compromising or embarrassing." Hermione nodded in satisfaction. That was another sliver of information she could file away about those two. But there was a thought that kept nagging her and she looked at them shyly.

"May I ask why? I mean, you don't have to answer if you don't want to. I don't want to make you uncomfortable or anything. I'm just curious and you two seem like eligible bachelors," she ended and couldn't help the blush that crept on her cheeks.

Gideon looked at her with wide eyes and now also Fabian couldn't hide his nervousness. He looked at her for a long moment and seemed to think about his answer carefully. "Gideon and I, we are magical twins," he said and studied her reaction.

She nodded unconcernedly. "Like Fred and George, yes?" she asked and couldn't help but remember George's suffering eyes before she left him in her original time.

Fabian smiled in relief. "Exactly. So you see, the concept of magical twins can be somewhat disconcerting to some witches, especially muggle-born ones like you."

Hermione looked at the two of them with furrowed brows and tried to make sense of his words. But as hard as she tried, there seemed to be a piece of information missing for her to figure out what he was trying to tell her. "Ehm, I think I don't understand," she said carefully and at that, she heard Gideon groan with mortification. But before she could say something to him, he bit out:

"We prefer dating the same witch," before looking at her and waiting for her reaction. And then she understood and she could feel the blood rushing into her cheeks.

"Oh," she said and tried to find something else to say, but no matter how hard she tried, she didn't find something that didn't sound wrong, insulting or embarrassing. And she really didn't want to offend her hosts. But Fabian seemed to have been prepared for her speechlessness and just smiled kindly at her. "Don't worry about us, Hermione. The right person simply hasn't shown up, yet. But we haven't given up hope quite yet and we are still in our prime." He puffed is chest proudly and for a moment she had to admit, that he was truly well built. Fabian and Gideon were both tall and muscular and the longer she interacted with them, the younger they seemed to her. There almost weren't any wrinkles on their faces that still seemed almost boyish to her and they were just so full of life that their age seemed to melt from them when Hermione looked at them from time to time. She smiled at them encouragingly. "I'm sure there's someone out there that is destined for the two of you. Love isn't always simple or straight forward but if you are really destined to be with someone, then love will find a way, don't worry." At that, something shifted in their faces and they smiled at her. And Hermione's heart clenched in pain, as she thought about Ron and that he didn't even remember her now. But she would take her own advice, she decided. If they were meant to be with each other, then love would find a way for them.

8th of September 1999

The next day brought an unexpected visitor to the house and for moment Hermione had to look twice, before believing that the man was truly standing in front of her in the middle of their shared living room.

"Professor Dumbledore," she said with wide eyes and the old man smiled at her with a twinkle in his own, before sitting down in a wing chair across of her.

"I see my sources have been right. You truly managed what I haven't thought possible. Congratulations Miss Granger."

She looked at him confusedly, before turning around to study her host's reaction. But they had already sat themselves down of the sofa again and looked at the man with a guarded expression. Interesting. "Well, thank you, I guess. Even though I am not exactly sure, what you are congratulating me for. You see, my memory is quite patchy at the moment and I still have some problems to remember most of the time I spent in the past."

The professor nodded at her with a kind smile. "That is to be expected, I guess. Time travel is a complex and still not fully researched thing. I warned you back then, that meddling with time can have some rather unpleasant or even unexpected side effects."

She nodded darkly. "Yeah, I was quite surprised to wake up only to realize, that my best friends no longer know me." The fact that this was also true for her boyfriend she left out, as she thought that this was no business of her meddlesome ex-headmaster.

Dumbledore cast her a grandfatherly smile. "You'll realize that this is just one of the side effects of your interferences with time. As I told you before, it has always consequences if one meddles with time and usually, there is a price to pay."

She nodded gravely but didn't interrupt him.

"I don't want to discourage you, Miss Granger, quite the contrary. What you achieved is remarkable and I do admire your dedication to your friends. But I do understand the hardships of making important decisions and making sacrifices for the greater good. If you need some help or advice one day, don't hesitate to come to me."

"Thank you, sir," Hermione replied with moist eyes and a tight throat. He was right of course. Hermione knew about his history with Grindelwald even though this version of Dumbledore might not be aware of her knowledge. Dumbledore knew what it meant to make hard decisions and lose his love to a war. He had even duelled Grindelwald in the end and Hermione could only guess, how hard that must have been for him. At least she would be spared from that fate. "That means a lot to me."

The professor nodded. "There might also be some aspects of your time travel that I'd like to discuss with you, as soon as you regained some more of your memories. Don't worry about it quite yet, but there are still one or two hard decisions, that might lie ahead of you. But first, you need to reacquaint yourself with your new life. If there is anything I can help you with in particular…"

Hermione chewed on her lower lip and looked at him nervously. "Well, there might indeed be something. You see, back in my old time, I was just about to sit for my NEWTs. And as I will need to make a living out of something sooner or later and I don't even have a _birth certificate_ at the moment…" She trailed off as the gravity of that problem hit her. But the headmaster just smiled encouragingly.

"Of course Miss Granger. I can arrange for you to sit your NEWTs privately at a time of your choosing. Or would you prefer returning to Hogwarts for another year?"

She shook her head vehemently. "No, I'd prefer just to sit my NEWTs and prepare for them on my own. Don't get me wrong, I love Hogwarts, but so many memories are connected to that place, memories that might not even be true any longer. I… don't think I could deal with that just now."

"I understand, my dear. Just send me an owl with an estimate of the time you'll need to prepare yourself. I'll arrange the rest." With that, he got up from his chair and looked at the three of them with a serious expression.

"Well then, I don't want to impose myself any longer on you. It's been a pleasure, as always gentlemen, Miss Granger." He bowed towards them before he turned to the door and Fabian and Gideon followed him out. Hermione remained at her place on the wing chair and stared into space contemplatively. There was a lot she had to think about in the next days.

27th of April 1981

Even though Hermione was nervous what the next day would bring for her, she slept like a stone. In her dreams she saw George, still suffering from the loss of his magical twin but on top of that he was looking for her now - and couldn't find her anywhere. Merlin, she really hoped this weren't some sort of visions that made her see what happened back in her time. Would time there move on without her? And would her friends be searching for her?

The morning found her still refreshed and to her relieve there was a set of fresh clothes on a chair next to her bed. It was a simple pair of muggle jeans and a jumper that could as well have belonged to one of the twins, but she didn't mind. The clothes were clean and whole, not like her own ones that had badly suffered from her fight against those death eaters. She'd have to replace them sooner or later, but as she didn't have a knut in her pocket right now, she'd have to do with borrowed ones. Still, she'd have to think of something to make a living out of, because she didn't know, if she would have to remain in this timeline or would be sent back, as soon as she had fulfilled her promise towards George. And until then she'd really prefer not to live of wild berries and mushrooms again.

The kitchen was already occupied when Hermione finally found her way down. Fabian and Gideon were sitting at the kitchen table and were discussing magical theory of some kind, but it was nothing Hermione was familiar with. She stood in the open door and looked at them uncertainly, as she wasn't sure if they rather wanted to eat their breakfast in peace.

"Come in Hermione," Gideon said from the table without looking up. "Fabian made ham and eggs which is one of the better things the two of us manage to throw together. Better get your share before it's all gone." He smiled at her kindly and Hermione smiled back.

"Alright, thank you. I just didn't want to intrude or anything."

He waved her of unconcernedly. "Don't worry about that. We really don't mind."

She shrugged and sat herself down at the table next to Gideon, where she ate in silence. Gideon and his brother continued their discussion after some hesitation and after a while, Hermione realized, that they were discussing different warding concepts and the use of varying rune alphabets to do the task. Hermione was fascinated.

Before she knew it the food on her plate was gone, even though she hardly remembered eating it. What a difference it could make if one wasn't bored to death by never-ending quidditch discussions during the meal.

"I think our guest has just arrived," Fabian said suddenly and got up from his chair. "The wards have just informed me that there is a visitor on the front door."

Gideon nodded. "Hermione, I'll accompany you to our study. Fabian will join us with our guest in a minute."

She nodded solemnly and followed him without another word. The study was located upstairs in a room not far from her bedroom. It reminded her a bit of Dumbledore's office, as every surface seemed to be cluttered with various magical trinkets, that were moving in some kind of shared rhythm, even though each of them seemed unique and Hermione couldn't name the function of one of them. Gideon must have caught her fascinated stare because he grinned at her proudly.

"These are some of our shared projects," he explained while offering her a chair in front of the huge magagony desk. "Fabian is very good at transfiguring various object, while I enjoy charming them afterwards. It's not always easy to do so without reversing the transfiguration, but we are making good progress."

Hermione nodded in awe. "Sounds like you are a good team," she said and couldn't help but look around in the room with glowing appreciation. This was almost as good as visiting a large book shop and Hermione would have loved to study all of these little devices while asking the two of them millions of questions. But she doubted that she would even be allowed to touch one, as long as she hadn't earned their trust.

The door to the study was opened behind her and Hermione turned around in her seat to see, whom Fabian and Gideon had brought to her questioning. She recognized the old wizard in his midnight blue robes that were decorated with twinkling stars immediately. He almost looked the same as Hermione remembered him, white hair and beard, a long nose and twinkling blue eyes that were hidden behind his characteristic half-moon glasses.

"Professor Dumbledore," she greeted him respectfully and got up from her chair to greet him. The old man was looking at her with unveiled interest and bowed his head in greeting, before he set down behind the desk, while the two brothers seated themselves on both of her sides.

"Interesting," her old headmaster finally said and looked at her with curious eyes. "I remember every student that attended Hogwarts since I started there as a professor. I am pretty sure, that I have never before seen you at school and still you call me professor. How is that, Miss Granger?"

Hermione swallowed heavily. She had never been in the sole focus of the headmaster and even though Harry had been very fond of the man, Hermione felt rather uncomfortable under his gaze. She knew, that the man was a very skilled Legilimens and Occlumens and she had no illusions that it would be impossible to lie to him. But she didn't plan on doing that, as the man could be her biggest enemy or her biggest ally. And if she was lucky he would even be willing to help her.

She raised her chin proudly and looked at him. "I am sorry Professor, but I am not sure if this is a conversation that is safe to be listened in." She pointed her eyes at the men next to her. "But I know you are quite a skilled Legilimens and maybe it would be acceptable for you, to find the answers for yourself."

He looked at her with raised brows. "Do you mean to tell me, that you are inviting me into your mind, Miss Granger? This is highly unusual."

She sighed wearily and nodded. "I am quite reluctant to do so sir, but I need to be careful with my secrets. I encourage you to be careful with browsing to deeply though. You might find things you'd really rather not know about."

The professor looked at her with fascination and nodded. "Very well. I'll take a quick peek into your head and see, what this is all about. Afterwards, we can decide how to proceed with this conversation."

Hermione nodded again but couldn't avoid stiffening in her chair, as panic threatened to overwhelm her. She didn't really care to have her mind invaded, but she also knew that she needed Dumbledore to trust her and he was one of the very few people in this time, she knew well enough to trust with her secrets. Still, she kept her eyes open and locked to his, as she felt him take the Elder Wand into his thin fingers. But she couldn't suppress the shiver of fear that crept over her.

"Don't worry Miss Granger, this won't hurt," the old man promised and with a silent wave of his wand, he was suddenly in her mind. It felt strange having him there but he had been right, it didn't hurt at all. Instead, she could feel his strong and calm presence within her and she could see the memories he was looking at. There were glimpses of her childhood that he quickly skipped, some quick impressions of her Hogwarts days and her youth and finally the war. He didn't look too closely, as he seemed to have her warning in mind, but it was enough to grasp the problem they were facing and the decision they had to make. It didn't take long until he pulled back from her mind and when Hermione blinked her eyes open again she realized, that she had keeled to the side and was now resting against Gideon's shoulder. She looked up at him with embarrassment.

"Sorry about that," she mumbled and pulled back from him hastily. But the man just stared at her oddly, before focussing back on the headmaster. Hermione followed his example.

"Well headmaster?" she said with as much courage, as she could muster. "Could you find the answers you were looking for?"

When Dumbledore looked back at her, he suddenly looked very much like the old man, he really was. He sighed. "I have, Miss Granger. And I think we have very much to discuss."

She nodded solemnly. "That we do. Should we… meet in a more private setting? Or would you rather discuss things… here?"

At that, she felt Fabian and Gideon shift next to her uncomfortably and Dumbledore studied them for a long moment. "I do understand your need for keeping information close to your vest, Miss Granger, but I think you can trust the two of them. They owe you a life debt after all."

Hermione stared at the old man in front of her contemplatively. He was the one who had after all only entrusted the secrets of Voldemort's Horcruxes with three teenagers and still kept them in the dark as long as possible. What had happened to the man in front of her that encouraged her to trust these two complete strangers, to make such a paranoid man out of him? Hermione didn't know but she decided to trust his judgement.

"Very well," she agreed and looked at the three of them solemnly. "We better get some tea. Because this conversation might take a while."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: What lies behind

27th of April 1981

Opening up to Dumbledore and the Prewett brothers was harder than Hermione had anticipated. It wasn't that she didn't trust them - she trusted Dumbledore and if he deemed them trustworthy, than that was saying something. But there was also the fact, that somehow her vow towards George had sent her back to them. She didn't know the reason for it, but she assumed that it was to safe them. Somehow those two were important in the whole picture. And Hermione hoped that this also meant they were trustworthy. Fabian and Gideon were Molly's brothers after all and Ron's and George's uncles. That must count for something, right?

"I am a time traveller," she finally started and looked at the three of them with searching eyes. This time the twins and Dumbledore had positioned themselves across from her on the desk. The headmaster looked back at her calmly, whereas the other two stared back at her with wide eyes. But none of them interrupted her. "I am from the year 1999, a time where Voldemort is dead, but it took until 1998 to finally take him down. You can imagine that the price we payed was devastating."

She swallowed heavily and tried to keep herself composed, but it was hard. Everything she had bottled up during the last year, all the grieve, the helplessness and the frustration, were starting to creep on the surface again. "So many people died, I won't tell you any names, but the war has destroyed so many families and my generation suffered."

At that Dumbledore nodded gravely. "I never deemed it possible that this war would drag on for that long," he said and looked at her with sad eyes. "Not when it is already as bad as it is." Fabian and Gideon nodded in agreeance.

"It is… complicated and I am not sure how much about that I should tell you. At least not until I have decided what I should do. You see, I don't know how exactly I was send back. I was visiting George, George Weasley. He is a good friend of mine. His family suffered badly and he… wasn't in a good place," Hermione formulated carefully in the hope she didn't say too much. "I… kind of made a vow to him. I promised that I would help him, well, him and his family. I didn't know how, but at that moment I also didn't care what I had to do. It was all so unfair and I simply couldn't stand back any longer and watch… I don't know what happened afterwards, but the next thing I remember was appearing at your street in this time…" She trailed off insecurely and looked at Fabian and Gideon with wide eyes. "Maybe it is because you are related to him, or maybe it is because of the watch he has given me just moments before…"

"Watch?" Fabian and Gideon asked in unison and looked at her questioningly. Hermione nodded and gently took George's watch from her wrist and gently placed it on the table.

Gideon gasped. "This is mine," he said before carefully touching it with his fingertips. "And you said my nephew gave it to you? Why? Why didn't I have it?"

Hermione swallowed heavily and looked at him with sad eyes. "I can't tell you, sorry."

He nodded grimly. "You don't have to. Dumbledore did so already. He said we owe you a life depth. We… we should have died back there, didn't we?"

But Hermione didn't budge. "Maybe. Maybe not. It's not important." She shrugged. But just as she wanted to continue, Fabian leaped from his chair and stared at her with hard eyes.

"Not important?" he shouted at her. "We are talking about my life here, our life!"

But Hermione stared back at him unflinchingly. "Exactly. We are talking about your _life_, not death. Because you are alive and it doesn't matter what could have happened, because it _didn't_. And just to make sure: the two of you don't owe me a thing."

Dumbledore's eyes twitched at that, but he smiled at her kindly. "Very well Miss Granger. Now we know how you stumbled into this world. The big question is: what do you intend to do?"

She sighed heavily. "Seriously? I don't know, yet. I made a vow towards George and I intend to keep it. But for that I'll have to change history and you can imagine that this is a complex and dangerous thing. I know what has to be done, but I don't know how to go about it."

She looked at her professor seriously and he smiled back at her sadly. "I see," he said and took a long sip from his cup. "I understand that your vow to your friend sent you back in time for a certain reason, which is quite remarkable I might add. But know, that it's a dangerous thing to meddle with time. Bad things have happened to people who did."

Hermione nodded with a sad look in her eyes. "I know. But that's a price I am willing to pay. I don't know if you can imagine how bad it was, but no matter what I do, I can't make it much worse. I know how to kill him, Voldemort that is, and I intent to do everything in my power to help bring him down before he destroys the lives of my friends."

"We'll help you," the Prewett twins swore and jumped from their seats. Hermione looked at them with a thankful smile.

Dumbledore sighed and looked at her worriedly. "I understand what you are trying to do Miss Granger, but I can't help being worried about you. I don't doubt that with your help things might turn out much better for our side but I am not sure if you really understand, what fate you are submitting yourself to. There might never be a way back for you, or the world you might find at your return might have changed beyond recognition. You might even erase yourself from time, it's impossible to predict. Are you really willing to risk that?"

Hermione thought about it carefully. Dumbledore was a great wizard and without a doubt very well educated in a majority of topics. He was the most reliable source of knowledge available to her at the moment and she would have to trust his judgement, which meant, that any of the outcomes he described to her were possible. And they were all rather unsettling. But Hermione Granger was no coward and she loved her friends more than anything else in the world. "I am," she finally said and looked at him proudly. "The question is: are you going to help me? Because I would rather not go against him alone and I definitely don't want you as an enemy."

He looked at her for a long moment. The twinkle in his eyes was long gone. "I will not work against you, Miss Granger, because as much as it pains me seeing you meddle with time, it is your fate and your life that is in line and it is your right to decide if you want to risk it. There might even be things I can help you with, safely. But that depends what we are dealing with. So tell me Miss Granger: what do you intent to do?"

Hermione looked at the three of them with eyes full of determination. "I am going to hunt horcruxes, five of them to be precise."

The professor gasped, whereas the other two looked at her cluelessly. "Horcruxes?" Gideon asked confusedly. "What's that?"

Dumbledore sighed tiredly. "They are the product of the darkest kind of magic. One has to split his soul and store a piece of it in an object of your choosing. This way you make said object a horcrux. As long as the horcrux exists, the person cannot die, even if her body is killed."

Hermione nodded in agreeance. "It's difficult to destroy these objects though. We only found that basilisk venom and fiendfire work for it. Maybe there's more but we haven't found anything else."

Dumbledore nodded. "And he made five you said? That is indeed very dark news."

Hermione smiled darkly. "It depends on the perspective. In my time he's made seven."

"Seven?" Fabian shouted and looked at her with wide eyes. "And you've all destroyed them? Merlin!"

"I had help," she confessed and looked at her professor meaningfully. "But I am positive, that we can deal with some of them much easier this time around, because I know where they are."

Dumbledore nodded in resignation. "Very well Miss Granger. I see you have made up your mind. I can only hope that you won't regret your decision one day."

Hermione nodded. "So do I."

9th of September 1999

This night Hermione was haunted by dreams of the past and when she woke up in the morning she remembered her first meeting with Dumbledore in 1981. The memory left her shaken to the core because the old wizard had been right in his estimation which price she would have to pay. Back then she hadn't considered that she would pay the price for the rest of her life and that it might hurt her every day to do so. What good was it to safe her friends, if they couldn't even remember, who had saved them nor that they had needed saving? Because Hermione Granger was paying the price and she would be doing it in silence.

"Morning sunshine," Fabian greeted her when she finally dragged herself down into the kitchen. He was already busy working behind the kitchen counter and chopping fruit for their breakfast. But Hermione just mumbled a greeting towards him and threw herself on one of the kitchen chairs.

"Bad night?" he asked and after a moment he levitated a cup of hot coffee into her direction. It landed perfectly in front of her on the table.

She groaned. "You can say that. The meeting with Dumbledore yesterday triggered some memories from my time in the past. I remembered our first meeting with Dumbledore."

"I see," he said neutrally and a moment later he lowered himself on the chair to her left, after putting a big plate with sliced fruit in front of them. But Hermione wasn't really hungry, her stomach was still in tight knots.

"He was right, you know?" Hermione said and looked at her cup unhappily. "When he was talking about the possible consequences, I mean."

Fabian sighed, before taking a sip from his own cup. "Do you regret it Hermione? Would you change your decision if you could go back?"

She swallowed heavily. "I don't know Fabian. First I have to see it, I guess. I need to see what I changed, whom I saved. Is there really nobody that can remember me? I mean, George calls me his aunty now, can you imagine how weird this feels?" She groaned in exasperation and finally took a sip from her coffee. Usually she stuck to tea, but as she took a sip from the dark beverage, it was exactly what she needed. It tasted perfect, strong but sweet at the same time.

The man next to her smiled. "I can only imagine how difficult it must be for you. If there is anything I can do for you, just tell me. I am your friend Hermione, even if you might not remember it right now."

At that she smiled and her heart suddenly didn't feel as heavy as it had a moment ago. "That would be great, thank you. I could really use a friend right now." With that she shyly leaned her head against his shoulder and sighed contently. Fabian didn't move or say anything, but he also didn't stiffen or seem uncomfortable, so she guessed he didn't mind.

"Do you think it would be possible to meet some people?" she finally asked him after they had sat contently for a while. "Or to visite some places? Because, no matter if I like it or not, I need to get to know this world I am supposed to be living in now."

He grinned at her boyishly. "That actually sounds like fun. Tell me sunshine, what did you have in mind?"


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Severus Snape

11th of September 1999

Now that Hermione had a plan she already felt better. Meeting people was a good idea because if she had really managed to change history, she wanted to know, whom she had managed to save. Fred was alive, as were his uncles, so she guessed she had fulfilled her vow towards George. But had she been able to save more? What about Sirius, or Remus and Tonks? And what about Professor Snape? Especially the professor and his death had been on her mind for months, after the end of the battle. She guessed it was because she had seen him die in this horrible shack that haunted her nightmares for weeks. But it might have also been the man's story and his dedication to his childhood friend and only love Lily which made such a big impression on Hermione, that she simply could not forget the man. And so her former professor was the first one she asked Fabian about and she was delighted to learn, that he was indeed alive.

Fabian willingly agreed to arrange a meeting for her and even offered to accompany her to her professor's house in Cokeworth. To her own surprise, Hermione gladly accepted his offer, as she started to feel more and more comfortable in the twin's presence. It wasn't like having one of her old friends back, more like having some sort of grown-up version of George that was supporting and helping her. But even that wasn't nearly describing it. His brother Gideon mostly confused her. There was something in his eyes that Hermione couldn't place and that made the skin on her back prickle uncomfortably, whenever she was alone in a room with him. It was like there was something that he was not telling her, was hiding from her, but Hermione had no idea what it was. And it was making her uncomfortable. With Fabian that was different. Fabian felt safe and he was fun to have around. And Hermione trusted him to have her back when she visited her grumpy potions professor who would most likely not even remember her.

"Merlin, this place hasn't changed a bit," Fabian grumbled after he had apparated them into a small alley in the middle of Cokeworth. Hermione looked around. The street that lay ahead of them was dirty and littered with broken glass, smoked cigarettes and other stuff, that nobody had cared to clean away. The place looked a mess and for a moment she had problems to imagine, that this was the area where they would find her former potions professor. But Fabian seemed sure that they were in the correct place and even though he didn't look comfortable in the neighbourhood, he straightened his robe and walked ahead. Hermione followed him close behind. Luckily they hadn't to walk very far, as professor Snape's house was just located around the corner. The street was lined with old dirty brick houses that looked poor but mostly populated. Somewhere in the distance, Hermione could make out a large mill with a tall chimney, but as the place didn't seem to be used any longer, the air was at least clean and breathable.

Finally Fabian stopped in front of one of the houses. At first gaze, it looked like all of the houses, but when Hermione looked closer, it was in much better condition than the others. The red bricks were clean as well as the windows and behind the house, Hermione could even see a little well-kept garden that housed several magical flowers. It looked like they were in the right place.

"Alright, let's do this," she said and took a deep breath before ringing the doorbell. For a moment nothing happened but suddenly the door was opened by a blonde woman. At first, Hermione didn't recognize her, but as she looked closer she realized, that she was standing in front of her former muggle-studies professor.

"Professor Burbage?" she asked confusedly and looked at her with wide eyes.

The woman blinked at her. "Yeah, that's me. But who are you?"

Hermione plastered a polite smile on her face. "My name is Hermione Granger, mam. But I was actually looking for professor Snape. Isn't that his house?"

Professor Burbage smiled at her politely. "Ah, I see. Do come in then." With that, she stepped aside and led them into a clean and comfortable looking kitchen. "He's downstairs in his lab, but I'll go and get him for you. Make yourself comfortable on the sofa. He'll be with you in a minute."

Hermione cast Fabian an uncertain look, but her new friend just shrugged and sat himself down on the sofa. After a moment she followed his example and positioned herself at the other end, where she started to nervously bite her lower lip. It didn't take long until professor Burbage returned and as she had promised, she had professor Snape in tow. He studied the two of them with an unreadable expression before he nodded towards her companion.

"Fabian Prewett, it's been a while," he said and grinned at him crookedly. "You've become old."

Instead of being annoyed the man next to her snorted in amusement. "I could say the same about you, Snape. But I see you are doing well. You even got yourself a witch," he waggled his eyebrows.

Snape shook his head in exasperation. "I see you haven't changed a bit, Prewett. But the same can be said about your friend here, quite _literally_ I guess." With that, he turned his head towards her. "Hermione Granger, I can't say that I expected to see you ever again." He looked at her with glowing eyes.

Hermione smiled happily. "Hello, Professor. I'm really glad you remember me." But at that, his expression suddenly turned unreadable. "Professor, hu? Well, Hermione, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I am not teaching at Hogwarts, never have actually."

She blinked at him in confusion. "Oh, I'm sorry, sir. I wasn't aware. Unfortunately, I do have some problems to remember certain things at the moment."

He stared at her expressionlessly. "Is that so? Well, I guess time travel can do this to a person." With that, he sat himself down in the wingchair to her right, while Professor Burbage offered each of them a cup of tea. Hermione accepted with a shy smile.

"The healer said my memory will come back eventually, but as you saw I also have problems distinguishing between my old reality and the things I changed through my interventions, whatever they may have been."

At that, he smiled at her and Hermione almost choked on her tea. Never before had she seen her professor smile.

"First of all, don't call me sir. You call me Severus and this is my lovely wife Charity."

Hermione nodded owlishly at him. Merlin, this was strange. Professor Snape, no _Severus_, seemed different than the person she had known during her school days and he was even married. He looked much happier and a bit younger, too, which was a good thing she guessed. "Alright Severus," she said and looked at him. "Does that mean the two of us do have some sort of history together?"

The black-haired man gave an amused snort. "Oh definitely. And I'm quite frankly glad to have you back. I can't stand the presence of dim-witted morons, as you very well know and it's been _ages_ since I could discuss brewing techniques with an intellectual equal." She almost choked on her tea again. Could this day get any stranger?

28th of April 1981

Even though the conversation the day before left her emotionally drained, it had done the world for her relationship with her hosts. Where Fabian and Gideon had been careful around her before, they now looked at her with almost something like admiration. It wasn't only that they guessed, that Hermione had saved their lives, but she also provided a way for them to finally end this war. Having Hermione with them meant hope and she knew all too well, how she would have felt if someone like that had stumbled into her life in the middle of the last war.

Hermione was relieved to have them on her side and to finally be permitted to move freely within the house. The place itself didn't feel too much like a wizarding home though, as there were no magical portraits, moving staircases or other architectural wonders similar to the burrow around. But there was a huge library that quickly became her favourite place and a large training room in the basement. And then there was the twin's study, a room full of mysterious little trinkets that she was just waiting to explore if she ever got the permission to do so. Gideon showed her around proudly and almost shyly asked her if she would be interested in training with them later and she happily agreed. Polishing up her duelling skills would definitely be necessary if she planned to go against Voldemort and his death eaters. Merlin, she couldn't believe she was doing that again. Could it even work? What about the prophecy? She wasn't the one destined to vanquish the dark lord after all, nor was it Dumbledore. What if she would simply mess everything up? No, she shouldn't even think about that. Prophecies had only power over people if they really believed in them. And Hermione had never been fond of divination. She would not stray from her course, only because Sybil Trelawney had a spark of epiphany once in her life.

And so she continued to make plans because time was running through her hands like sand. She didn't have time to hesitate or wait. She knew where the Horcruxes were, now she only had to make plans on how to get them. The diadem, the ring and the locket were comparatively easy, the cup and the diary were not. If she wanted to get those two, she would need help. And Hermione knew exactly whom she wanted to ask for help.

"I need to go and see Severus Snape," she said to the twins on the next day during breakfast. "He is a death eater at the moment, but he will regret his decision very soon. In my time he has unrestingly fought for our side and without him, everything would have been lost."

Fabian looked at her with wide eyes. "Then why don't we wait for him to join our side on his own?"

"Because we need him _now_. And I am not willing to twiddle my thumbs and let people around me die." With that Hermione straightened her back and gulped back the cup of coffee Fabian had provided for her and shuddered. The beverage was much too bitter for her liking. Maybe she should add more sugar tomorrow. "I need your help finding him and accompanying me to him. Even though he is a good man in the future, I don't fancy confronting him alone at the moment. He would mop the floor with me before I could even say hello."

Gideon smiled crookedly at her. "Strength in numbers then, huh?"

Hermione grinned. "Something like that, yeah. And I heard the two of you are quite capable duellists."

At that, the twins puffed their chests proudly. "We have a bit of a reputation, that's true," Fabian said with a grin.

"Would be a pleasure to guard such a lovely young Miss as you," Gideon winked and Hermione couldn't help but blush. But she quickly composed herself again and looked at them with a pleased smile.

"Excellent. Do you have a way to find out where he lives? I'd like to go as soon as possible."

Gideon nodded with a grin. "I know somebody that knows," he said and rose from his chair. "Just let me make a quick floo call. Don't worry, he's trustworthy."

Hermione sighed. "Are you absolutely sure of that? Who is it? I'm sorry, but we absolutely can't make mistakes here."

He nodded understandingly. "His name is Frank Longbottom. He's an excellent Auror and a friend from school. He's in the order, too."

She nodded with a fond smile, as she remembered what Neville told her about his parents. "Alright, call him. And thanks for helping me, for trusting me. It means a lot to me, to not be alone in this."

The two of them grinned back at her and for the first time, Hermione could see the similarity to Fred and George. "We'll be at your side, Hermione, no matter what." And for some unfathomable reason, she knew, that they were telling the truth. They would stay at her side and Hermione realized that she wanted them there to have her back.

30th April 1981

Finding Severus Snape had been more difficult then Hermione had anticipated, but probably the man didn't want to be found and had protected his whereabouts accordingly. And so it took Gideon almost two days until he could present her with the address of her former potions professor. Hermione thanked him enthusiastically and he grinned at her and Hermione thought that he looked a bit like a cat that had brought its owner a big mouse.

They decided to visit Snape on the same evening. Hermione was anxious to put this unpleasant confrontation behind her and time was running. And so Gideon apparated them into a dingy alley in a city called Cokeworth and led them purposefully to a dirty brick building around the corner. Hermione looked at him doubtfully.

"Are you sure it's here?" she asked and wrinkled her nose. She had never imagined that her former professor lived in such a dirty and poor neighbourhood. But then she reminded herself, that he wasn't her professor _yet_.

"That's the address Frank gave me," he said and shrugged. "What's your plan?"

Hermione smiled crookedly. "We ring the doorbell and see if he's home. I trust you to have my back, should he try to attack me. But don't attack him, if he doesn't raise his wand first. His tongue is sharp, but don't worry, I'm used to being insulted by him."

With that, she turned around and rang the bell. For a long moment, nothing happened, but finally, the door was pulled open and a gruff looking young version of Severus Snape looked at her with narrowed eyes. "I don't buy anything," he sneered, but then his eyes fell on Fabian and Gideon and his eyes became wide. "You're the Prewett twins," he said before his eyes snapped back to her. "What do you want?"

Hermione forced herself to smile at him politely. "My name is Hermione Granger. You don't know me, but I assure you, that we don't want you any harm. In fact, we're here because we wanted to talk to you."

He looked at her with raised brows, but his eyes remained full of distrust. "Talk about what?"

She sighed, but then she raised her chin and searched his eyes with hers. "Lily Evans."

Fabian and Gideon shuffled their feet behind her nervously but Hermione didn't pay them any attention. It must have been the right thing to say, because Snape's eyes widened just a fraction before he stepped aside. "Come in then," he said. "But I warn you if this is some sort of trick…" He didn't finish the sentence, but Hermione knew a threat when she heard one.

"It's not," she assured him and followed him confidently. Snape led them into a big but dirty kitchen and sat them down at a table with four uncomfortable looking wooden chairs. Hermione didn't mind and smiled at him gratefully.

"Thank you for inviting us in," she said and locked her eyes with him. "What I will tell you now is strictly confidential but I know that you are a friend of Lily's, even though you are not on speaking terms at the moment." He opened his mouth and it looked like he wanted to interrupt her, but she silenced him with her finger. "I understand that you have many questions and I assure you that I will answer every single one of them. But first I need to establish, what is going to happen. The information I possess is of the greatest importance for this war and I will not risk it falling into the wrong hands. That's why I brought Fabian and Gideon with me. They have sworn to protect me and I would strongly advise you not to try attacking me or something equally stupid." She looked at him with raised brows and he nodded uncomfortably. "I know you are a Death Eater Severus Snape, but I also know that you are a good man that has made a great mistake. That is why I decided to have this little chat with you. Now, this is what's going to happen: I am going to invite you to use Legilimency on me because some information I want to give to you needs to stay between the two of us. You have already learned how to do it, or am I mistaken?"

He looked at her with a gasp. "How do you…?"

But she interrupted him again. "Have you or have you not learned to do it?" she asked sternly. "Because I don't fancy my mind being shredded by an amateur."

He looked at her and Hermione saw the corner of his mouth twitching. "I can do it, don't worry," he promised and Hermione relaxed.

"Excellent. Then I'll let you into my mind and I want you to view all the memories I have concerning you and Lily Evans. After you are finished I will ask you for an unbreakable vow to keep our secrets and to join us. If you are not willing to do this, I'll obliviate you and leave you in peace."

He looked at her with an analysing gaze. "Now I see why you brought yourself backup, Miss Granger. And I have to admit, you have sparked my curiosity."

She smiled at him. "That's what I was hoping for. Does that mean you'll do it?"

Severus Snape nodded. "I'll do it. I am clueless about why you would invite a complete stranger into your mind, but it's your decision. I can't promise you not having a headache afterwards though."

But Hermione just grinned at him cheekily. "Are you or are you not a potions prodigy? I'm sure you'll be able to supply me with something afterwards."

He smiled at her crookedly. "Fair point. Well, let's get this over with then, shall we?"

A.N.: Well, what do you think? I hope you are not bothered by my English too much, I am still no native speaker, even though I am reading and writing a lot in this language. The plot is slowly picking up speed now and it will be a bit of a bumpy ride for Hermione. I am currently working on chapter 13 and there is no end in sight. I hope you are in for a long story. ^^


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Gaining trust

30th April 1981

Having her mind invaded by Severus Snape was nothing that Hermione could have prepared herself for. It was one thing having her mind analysed by the gentle and skilled touch of Albus Dumbledore but quite another thing to have a young and not nearly as experienced Severus Snape there. Dumbledore had just taken a quick peek into her head to assure himself that she was trustworthy, but the young wizard that was sitting before her now was digging into her brain with the determination of a bloodhound. It was almost too intimate, and not in a good way. It felt like being stripped naked, only ten times worse. And for a moment Hermione felt the panic rise. Merlin, what had she thought she was doing? Why couldn't she just have told him everything she knew? But now it was too late, Severus Snape had seen the first pictures and Hermione could feel his determination rise to find out everything he could from her mind. And there was nothing she could do to make him stop now.

Somewhere along the way, Hermione must have lost consciousness, because when she came to her senses again, her body was splayed on the ground with her head resting in somebody's lap, while a shouting match had erupted around her. One of the twins was screaming something about Snape having almost killed her and she groaned, as her head pounded painfully under the noise.

"You alright Miss Granger?" Snape's concerned words rang through the fog in her head and she shook it weekly.

"Potion please," she groaned and cradled her scalp. It didn't take more than a few moments before she could feel a cold vial being pressed against her lips and she opened up her mouth readily. The potion was bitter and salty on her tongue, but Hermione didn't care and swallowed it gratefully. She hadn't been wrong. Severus Snape was a potions prodigy and the potion he gave her, took effect immediately. Only after a few seconds, the pounding in her head was reduced to an unpleasant but tolerable hum and a minute later she was completely without pain. She sighed in relief.

"Thank you," she croaked and opened her eyes. Above her, the concerned face of Gideon looked down at her.

"Merlin, you've almost scared us to death," he admitted with a pained smile and Fabian hummed his agreement.

"Sorry," she said sheepishly and tried to sit up on the floor. But the world started spinning around her violently and she sunk back to the floor with a pained moan. "God's I'm never doing that again," she said and couldn't suppress the violent shiver that gripped her body. Immediately strong arms cradled her body protectively.

"Not that we would let you repeat that ever again. Merlin woman, you really have balls," Fabian mumbled next to her and Hermione couldn't help but smile weakly.

"Well, I was a Gryffindor after all," she admitted, which earned her an amused snort from the twins.

"Should have guessed that one, Gid," Fabian said with a shake of his head and his brother nodded with a grin. That was when a shaken looking Snape appeared at her other side.

"Here's another potion for you. This should help with the dizziness." He smiled shyly and handed her a small vial with a pink, milky substance inside and Hermione uncorked it trustingly.

"Thank you, Mr Snape," she said before drowning the sweet thick substance with a single gulp.

"Severus," he corrected her gently. "Call me Severus, Miss Granger." Hermione looked at him in stunned silence. "I think after showing me that much trust, you have earned yourself the right to call me by my first name," Severus explained and offered her a hand.

Hermione took it with a smile. "Only if you call me Hermione," she said and took it. He gripped her hand tightly and smiled back at her. "Alright, Hermione. Can you get up from the floor? Because I think I've got a vow to make."

She pulled herself up with a tired groan, before looking at him wide-eyed. "Does that mean you're agreeing to help us?"

He snorted before grinning at her crookedly. "I thought that was fairly obvious."

11th of September 1999

"Merlin, I just experienced déjá vu," Hermione groaned when she came back to her senses lying on Severus' floor. It was just like being thrown back into her most recent memory, the one she had regained just now, but this time she looked up into the concerned eyes of the other twin brother.

"I didn't do a thing," came Snape's voice from somewhere behind, but just a moment later he appeared right next to her companion. "Do you need a headache potion or something? You looked like you were having quite the flashback."

Hermione smiled sheepishly at him. "You can say that. I wouldn't mind a potion, it's not as bad as back then, but it's not really comfortable either."

The black-haired wizard nodded. "Alright, hold on. I'll get you something."

Some minutes later she was back at her seat, where she cradled her cup of tea with shaking hands. She didn't know what to say, as her head was still contemplating, what she had just learned about the past.

"How much did you remember?" Fabian asked her somewhat concerned and Hermione noticed that Snape was looking at him with dark analysing eyes.

"Just our first visit here," she replied cautiously and looked at Severus with searching eyes. "But not even all of it. What happened after you made the vow?"

He chuckled darkly and Hermione shook her head in confusion. It was so strange to see her former potions professor in something else than a dark mood. "You made me search for the damned diary of course," he said and took a sip from his cup. "And I can tell you it was anything but easy. Even though Malfoy and I were friends back then, as you knowingly pointed out, I couldn't just raid his whole Manor. There would have been uncomfortable questions and unwanted attention. And so it took me quite some time and some illegal potions to find the damned thing."

She looked at him with wide eyes. "You found it?"

He snorted. "Of course I did. But it almost took me two months."

Hermione sighed with relief. "Thank you for helping us. I hope it was worth it, for you."

Snape fixed her with his dark eyes. "Are you joking Hermione? Of course, it was worth it. Remember? You showed me what would have happened and I was as horrified back then at what could have been as I am now. Can you imagine? Me teaching poor Hogwarts students potions for decades?"

Now it was Hermione's turn to snort. "I don't need to imagine it, Severus. I lived through six years of your insults."

At that, Professor Burbage patted her hand understandingly. "I am thankful you saved hundreds of students from that fate, and Severus, too. He would have hated the job as he simply cannot stand incompetence and laziness, two traits that can be found at Hogwarts in abundance."

Hermione nodded. "That's true I guess. And I am happy to have helped, then." With that, she raised herself from the chair and nodded towards Fabian. "We'll leave the two of you in peace then. Thanks for seeing us."

But before she knew what was happening, her former potions professor had pulled her into a strong embrace. She went rigid in shock.

"Thank you for everything," he whispered into her ear and squeezed her tightly. After a moment she willed herself to relax, even though her heart kept beating wildly in her chest. "But don't think I am just letting you disappear again young Miss, do you hear me? You'll be coming back for tea and a discussion next week and I won't take no for an answer."

With that he finally released her and Hermione stumbled back, only to bump into Fabian, who was standing close behind her. "Um, alright?" she said and looked at her former professor with rosy cheeks.

He smiled at her, amused. "I'll owl you one of my recent research papers and the time for the meeting. Don't be late, you know I can't stand tardiness."

She blinked at him owlishly. Merlin, this new Severus Snape would take some time getting used to. It was like being Alice in Wonderland all over again. Only that there was no way back for her and Hermione wasn't sure if she was scared or pleased at that prospect.

30th April 1981

Hermione almost fell asleep on her way back from Cokeworth and excused herself to bed immediately after returning back home. Taking the vow from Severus had taken the last bit of energy out of her and she was glad to be able to rest for the next hours. But she should have known better. It couldn't have been long after falling asleep, as the first nightmare gripped her with force and pulled her back into Malfoy Manor, where she had been tortured mercilessly by Bellatrix Lestrange. It was like experiencing the worst day of her life all over again, the burning pain in her limbs and the feel of the icy blade in her arm.

"Hermione, are you alright?" an urgent-sounding voice drifted towards her through the fog and with a gasp she awoke in her bed. She pulled her eyes open and looked around in a panic, only to find the face of a stranger looming directly over her. She flinched away with a small scream.

"Don't hurt me," she begged and tried to scramble away, but immediately the dark silhouette took some hasty steps back.

"I'm not going to hurt you," a man's voice soothed and she looked into the darkness with wide eyes. "It's Gideon, Hermione. Do you remember? You're living with us now…"

She blinked in confusion, but finally, her mind caught on. "Gideon Prewett?" she asked and rubbed her eyes tiredly. "Of course, I remember now. Sorry, I didn't want to scare you. I must have had a nightmare."

"I could tell. Your screams woke me up next door," he sighed and Hermione could tell he was shaking his head. "Are you alright?"

She wanted to nod, but instead, she felt her body starting to shake all over. "No," she finally admitted and hugged herself. "I keep seeing her, seeing the manor," she confessed before her teeth started to chatter. Gideon was by her side just a moment later.

"I'm here," he promised. "No one is going to hurt you. We're protecting you, remember?"

Hermione nodded timidly and looked at him with wide eyes. "Please don't go," she said and he shook his head with a gentle smile.

"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. Do you want me to get Fabian, too? Would that make you feel safer?"

She shrugged helplessly. "I don't want to interrupt his sleep, too. I already feel silly enough as it is."

But Gideon just shook his head with a smile. "I bet he's already awake but doesn't dare to come in. Let me just send him a quick Patronus and see if I'm correct, alright?"

Hermione nodded and watched him as he cast the spell. His Patronus was a little fennec with huge batty ears and a bushy tail. It curiously sniffed her out before leaping from her bed and zooming away through the wall to her right. Not even a minute later the door to her room was pried open and Fabian slipped inside.

"Gid said you wanted us to stay with you?" he asked cautiously and moved towards her bed slowly. Hermione sighed embarrassedly.

"You don't have to, Fabian. It was just a nightmare," she mumbled with clattering teeth. Fabian shook his head and looked at her with scrutinising eyes. "I don't think it was _just_ a nightmare," he said sternly and sat down on the other side of her bed. "It's some memories that came back to haunt you, am I right?"

She nodded weakly into the darkness but didn't trust her voice to say something in return. He murmured silently to himself before she suddenly felt her blanket being lifted up, as he crawled into bed with her. "What are you doing?" she squeaked and looked at him with panicked eyes.

He snorted. "I thought that is fairly obvious. I'm staying with you, but I refuse to spend the night on the chair. And now budge over." Hermione blinked at him speechlessly for a moment, before she crawled into the middle of the bed. Gideon had obviously interpreted her action as an invitation too and climbed into her bed from the other side. Surprisingly the bed was big enough to host everybody comfortably and Hermione could feel the two of them comfortingly at her sides, without them actually touching her. Still, their warmth radiated towards her and her body was lulled into feeling safe again. She sighed in relief, as the shivers finally started to die down.

"Feeling better now?" Gideon whispered to her left and Hermione nodded.

"Yeah. I don't know what came over me. I haven't had a nightmare that bad in months."

He sighed and rolled over to his side so that he was facing her. "I'm not surprised at all. You had Snape rummaging through your mind for almost half an hour until you passed out and fell to the floor with blood running out of your nose."

She heard Fabian nod on her other side. "It's no wonder that some memories came back to haunt you. Do you want to talk about what happened to you? You don't have to, of course, but maybe it will help to share some of it?"

Hermione thought about it for a long moment and even considering it, brought the shiver back to her limbs. She moaned unhappily.

"It's alright. You don't have to say a thing if it's making you feel bad," Gideon assured her and took her into his arms. Just a second later she felt Fabian's arms close around her from behind. "Fabian and I are not going anywhere. We'll be here to protect you, Hermione, no matter if it's from a nightmare or some bad guys."

She nodded gratefully into his chest and sighed. "Thank you for staying with me," she said and relaxed into their embrace. "Thank you for being my friends."

"Anytime," they answered in unison and Hermione smiled. She couldn't explain it, but those two had really managed to make her feel safe again. It was totally irrational, as she had only known them for a couple of days, but it was the truth. And Hermione decided to just accept it for what it was. She had found herself two friends that were willing to protect her from the ghosts of her past as well as the dangers that waited in her future. And she would protect them in return.

11th of September 1999

Hermione awoke in her bed with a gasp, but the pictures of her most recent dream kept forcing themselves on her. Triggered by her visit with Severus, another memory had come back to her in her dreams, a memory of her waking up from a nightmare in the very same bed and being comforted by her hosts that held her while she fell asleep again. Had that really happened? Or was it in fact just a dream that her fantasy had supplied after being hugged by a very much changed Severus Snape? It was a possibility, as she was really starting to get starved of affection of any kind. Her friends were all out of reach for her now and it was saying something, that the only one willing to give her a hug, was her old grumpy potions professor. Merlin, the world had really gone mad.

But what if the dream was, in fact, a real memory? Had they really been that close? Had she and the Prewett twins been friends? It was possible of course as they were almost the same age back then. Even though Hermione had never been good at making friends she could have managed to befriend those two, much like she had befriended Harry and Ron. But how should she find out? Should she simply ask them? Well, it would certainly be the most logical thing to do. She would just have to wait for the right moment to ask them about it.


	10. Chapter 10

A.N.: Hey guys, thank you some much for the love you are giving this story. You have no idea how much this motivates me. This will be the last chapter for a few days, as I need to go back to work on Monday and things will get quite busy next week. But I'll do my best to make another update as soon as possible.

Chapter 10: Unforeseen consequences

12th of September 1999

Hermione couldn't avoid letting her mind wander when she walked down for breakfast the next morning. Living in this new reality was definitely not getting any easier, as the days went by, because more and more things simply didn't match up with the things she knew from before her time travel. Counting her recurring memories on top of that, it was just one thing too much confusing her at the moment. It was like she had to learn everything from scratch. Who were her friends? Who her enemies? Did she even _have_ enemies or had Hermione Granger really mostly disappeared and there were only a few select persons who remembered her existence?

To her surprise, the kitchen was empty when she arrived, but the used mugs in the sink told her that her hosts were already up. Maybe they had to work today and had already left the house already? But wouldn't they have left her a message then? She shrugged and decided to help herself to some tea and toast. She knew the kitchen quite well by now and the twins had assured her, that the house was her home as well. And so she decided to take them at their word and make herself comfortable, which for her meant having tea and toast in the library.

The Prewett twin's library was nothing like the dark and stuffy place she had known from Grimmauld Place. Instead, the room had three big windows on one side, whose window sills were transformed into comfortable cushioned reading areas one could use to lounge and chill. All the other walls were lined with high and well-organized bookshelves that housed a remarkable variety of magical fields as well as some selected muggle fantasy stories. In the middle of the room stood three well-stocked desks waited to be used for studying. Hermione sighed contently, while she moved through the room towards the windows. This room was like one of her dreams come true. It would be the perfect place to prepare herself for her oncoming NEWTs.

"Who's there?" a male voice suddenly asked from one of the window sills and Hermione squinted towards the light with small eyes. "Is that you Fabian?"

Hermione froze. She knew that voice, but she hadn't heard it for months. "Professor Lupin?" she asked uncertainly, while the cup started to clatter in her hand. "It's Hermione Granger, sir."

The person at the window huffed, before climbing down and coming closer. It really was her professor that much was obvious now, even though he looked different - _younger_. "Hermione Granger? _The_ Hermione Granger?"

She blinked in confusion. "Are there more than one, sir?"

"I suppose not," he said with something like exasperation. And then her former professor studied her with hard eyes. "Did you finally come to apologize then?"

Hermione stared at him in confusion. "Apologize? I'm sorry sir, but I think I don't understand. The…time travel has messed with my memories, I'm afraid."

He made a humourless snort. "Well, that's _awfully convenient_, isn't it?"

She blinked and for a moment she didn't know what to say to that. Why was he treating her like that? What has she done to him? "Sir? What happened? Why should I apologize to you?" she asked and couldn't help feeling like she had been caught breaking one of the school rules, only that she didn't even know which one.

"To me?" he laughed coldly. "Well, I suppose that also wouldn't go amiss. But that's not what I meant."

At that, her insides turned to ice. "Is it Tonks? Or Teddy? Where are they, I'll go and see them immediately."

But her professor just stared at her confusedly. "Tonks? Teddy? Merlin witch, I swear I don't know who you're talking about." He shook his head, before looking at her in annoyance. "No, I am talking about poor Peter, Peter Pettigrew."

Hermione stared at him with wide eyes. "Pettigrew? He's alive?"

At that, he laughed coldly. "He's alive and well but I can imagine you rather had it otherwise. Don't bother looking for him. I won't let you close to him ever again."

He turned around and left the library without another word. And Hermione stared at his retreating figure with wide eyes and shaking hands. As he banged the door closed behind him, the cup she had been holding for the whole time slipped from her fingers and broke on the floor. But Hermione didn't care. She stumbled to one of the windows and it was just in time, to see her angry-looking Professor step outside and disapparate in front of the house. Hermione stared at the spot where her former friend had disappeared for hours afterwards, while her head kept frantically looking for a clue what had gone wrong in the past.

1st of May 1981

Hermione woke up to the feeling of being warm, very warm, _too warm_ and when she opened her eyes with a frown, she found herself being cuddled by not one but two redheaded boys. One of them was snuggled into her back while having his arm wrapped around her middle. The other one had his head buried into her chest while lying on his back and cradling her arm. And both of them were fast asleep.

"Fred, George! Wake up!" she huffed and tried to wiggle herself away. The two of them moved away from her with a groan.

"Not a Weasley," mumbled the man in front of her, before looking at her with blue twinkling eyes. Hermione closed her eyes in embarrassment.

"Sorry Fabian," she apologized with pink cheeks, before slowly sitting up.

But he just winked at her with a boyish grin. "Is there a reason why you would assume to wake up in bed with our nephews?" he asked and studied her interestedly.

"That's none of your business," she said as sternly as possible in the hope to hide her mortification. And luckily Fabian accepted her answer with a shrug. He winked at her again, before swinging his legs out of bed, where he casually trotted towards the door while only being clad in a pair of pyjama pants. But after a few steps, he stopped and turned back around.

"Any plans for today?" he asked her with a raised eyebrow and a grin.

Hermine looked at him thoughtfully. "There's another person I'd like to meet. But he might be equally difficult to track down as Severus."

"Who is it?" Gideon asked next to her while staring at the enchanted curtains of the bed.

"His name is Remus Lupin. You might know him. I think he's a member of the order," she replied and looked at the man next to her with concerned eyes. "Do you know where I can find him? Or could you maybe ask Frank Longbottom again?"

Gideon looked at her for a long moment, before giving her a nod. "I'll track him down for you," he said and locked his eyes with her. "But you have to promise me, not to let him do Legilimency on you. I'm not standing by while he gives you a stroke or something. Yesterday was enough."

Hermione sighed. "Don't worry, I don't think he can cast the spell anyway. But I hope something like that won't be necessary with him, he is in der Order after all and in the future, we are something like friends."

Gideon looked at her with a relieved smile. "That's good to know. Should be easy then."

With that, he swung himself out of her bed too and followed his brother to the door. Hermione smiled at the two of them gratefully. She really hoped Gideon was right because she still had no idea what to say to her former defence professor. How did one convince a man, that one of his best friends was a traitor?

12th of September 1999

After what felt like hours Hermione finally left her spot in the library and stumbled downstairs towards the kitchen. Her insides were churning and her head was still confused from everything she had learned during her short conversation with Lupin. Why didn't he know about Tonks or Teddy? And what had she done to make the man this angry on her? She didn't know, but she needed answers. And she was determined to get them.

But she had just closed the door to the library behind her when she heard Fabian's voice shouting downstairs: "And you thought inviting _Lupin_ into our house, without even asking me about it, was the best way to do it, did you?"

"I wanted to help her Fab. You _know_ she keeps remembering when she meets somebody from her past," drifted Gideon's angry reply up the stairs and Hermione froze in place.

"Helping her, or helping _yourself_?" his brother's voice shot back and Hermione's heart started pounding in her chest. What were they talking about? "Merlin Gideon, Hermione _is_ remembering but don't you think she should do it on her own terms?"

For a moment there was silence and without noticing her body had started to move towards the stairs. She knew that Gideon was hiding something from her and maybe it was time to find out, what exactly that was.

"She asked me to help her remembering," Gideon's voice replied more quietly after she had just made it down the stairs and Hermione reckoned that the twins were having their little discussion just behind the door to her left. "She wants to meet people, Fabian wants to get to know the world she's living in," the man finally continued and Hermione remembered telling him exactly that.

But his brother just sighed tiredly. "There was still no need to open exactly that can of worms. Merlin Gideon, I want her to remember as badly as you do, but we need to be patient. The day will come when we can finally tell her brother, but…"

He didn't get any further, because that was the moment when Hermione couldn't take it any longer and opened the door. "Tell me what exactly?" she asked and looked at them with a raised chin. The two of them stiffened.

"Hermione," Fabian said and looked at her with wide eyes. "Are you alright?" But she waved him off and fixed her eyes on his brother. "I knew that you were hiding something Gideon," she said and slowly walked closer. "And I want you to tell me what it is, _now_."

But the redhead looked at her for a long moment, before squaring his shoulders. "No," he said and his eyes turned sad. "Not like this. I'm sorry Hermione."

She closed her eyes for a long moment and took a deep breath. When she opened them again, she turned to Fabian instead. "And you? Will you tell me what this is all about?"

Fabian stared at her with wide eyes, before slowly shaking his head. "I won't," he finally said and looked at her regretfully. "Not until you have all your memories back, I'm sorry."

Hermione studied them for a long moment before her eyes turned hard. "Then I'm sorry, too," she said before she straightened her back and turned around. She was through the door a moment later.

"Hermione wait, where are you going?" she heard Gideon's desperate voice behind her, followed by some quick steps. She kept walking on.

"Out," she replied stiffly before pulling her wand out of her back pocket. "I can't say with you if I can't trust you," she said matter-of-factly before opening the front door and striding out with purpose. But the twins were close behind her.

"Hermione, please! You _can_ trust us, I swear," Fabian said urgently behind her, but she didn't want to hear it. Not after what she had just learned.

"That is not for you to decide," she said quietly. "Trust needs to be earned, you know?" She turned around and looked at them sternly. "Don't try to follow me. I will not appreciate it."

They looked at her with wide eyes, but finally, they nodded. "Alright, as you wish Hermione," Gideon said finally with his eyes full of sadness. "We will not force you to stay with us."

Fabian nodded next to him. "But you are welcome at our home anytime."

She nodded stiffly but could not force herself to say something in return. And so she simply swirled around and disapparated with a determined turn of her body.

12th of September 1999

Hermione landed in a deserted alley in Hampstead and without even thinking about it any further, she stored her wand in her sleeve and began to walk. It had been a while since she had visited her old neighbourhood but after everything that had happened to her, she just had to go and see her parents. No matter if they recognized her or not. Her home looked just as she remembered it. The garden that her mother loved tending to was in pristine condition and Hermione soaked in the calming sight of rose bushes and colourful flower beds. During summer holidays she had enjoyed helping her mum with the flower arrangements and the weeding and even though Hermione was more of an indoor person she had enjoyed the alone time with her mum and the physical exercise the work had provided. It was out of the question that her parents still lived in the cosy brick house, as she could clearly see her mother's touch in the garden and the interior, that she could spot from outside. She sighed in relieve. At least her parents still lived in Britain in this timeline and hadn't moved to Australia during the war. But would they be able to remember her? Or would they have forgotten Hermione like most of the other persons she had known in the past? She had to know. And so she straightened her back and marched to the door.

It had been years since she had to use the doorbell, but the melodic sound of it was still familiar to her and immediately filled her with nostalgic feelings. It didn't take long until the door was opened and her mother looked at her with brown, curious eyes.

"Oh hello my dear, what can I do for you?" she said but even though her voice was friendly, there was no recognition in her eyes. Hermione swallowed heavily.

"I... my name is Hermione Weasley, mam," she quickly improvised while plastering a polite smile on her face. "I'm in my second year of university and I am doing a study on social structure of different parts of London."

Her mother nodded politely. "That sounds like an interesting project, my dear. Go on."

Hermione nodded. "I am doing an inquiry on family structures at the moment and I'd like to ask you some questions if that's alright with you."

"Of course," her mum said in return. "Would you like to come in? I could make us a nice cup of tea while you take your notes."

At that Hermione's heart made a happy jump. "That would be wonderful, mam. I've been walking around the neighbourhood for quite some time now and I really wouldn't mind sitting down for a moment."

Mrs Granger cast her an understanding smile. "University can be like that, my dear. But you'll see, it will pay off in the end."

And with that, she led her inside. Hermione was finally at home, even if it was just for a short visit under deception.

Hermione learned that Jane and Dan Granger never had a daughter or a child for that matter. It was a shock to her, even though she had already suspected it. But the news still left her unsettled and it took every ounce of her will, to still play her role of a university student convincingly. Somehow Hermione managed it. Talking to her mum came easy to her, as they were something like kindred spirits. In her childhood and youth, both of them spend hours discussing literature and science and so it didn't take long until the conversation they were having today had moved on to these topics. And in the end, almost an hour had gone by, before Hermione decided, that it was time to go.

"Thank you for the tea, Mrs Granger. I had a lovely time talking to you," she sent the woman a thankful smile. Her mum smiled back at her kindly.

"The pleasure was all mine. You really are a delightful young woman, Hermione. And I wish you all the best for your thesis. If you ever feel like having tea with me again, I wouldn't mind repeating this." She motioned towards the cosy sofa and the tea table. Hermione looked at her with wide, moist eyes.

"I would love to visit you again. Maybe you could give me your number? Then I'd just give you a call when I have a free period."

And with that, it was set. Hermione left her parents house with a card, she didn't really need, as she knew the contact details of her parents by heart. She almost felt bad for having lied to them about her identity. But there was no way they would believe the truth, right? And so withholding the facts was just for the best, Hermione thought, even though it occurred to her in the same moment that this was exactly what Fabian and Gideon had done to her. And she didn't like this realisation at all.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: The untrodden path

12th of September 1999

Hermione rang the door bell of Snape's house in Spinner's End with a heavy heart. It was only yesterday that she had been here last and even though she wasn't sure if she was welcome, she didn't know where else to go. And so she had resigned herself to ask her former potions master if she could stay, until she had found something for herself.

It didn't take long until the door was opened by the man himself. Severus Snape was wearing a casual black shirt and jeans, while his hair was tied back with a hair band. It was the most unusual sight. But Hermione would have to learn living with these all-day-differences.

"Hermione," he said and looked at her with furrowed brows. "I wasn't expecting to meet you again quite so soon. Is everything alright?"

She looked at him nervously. "Sorry for intruding," she apologized and couldn't help biting her lip. "But I didn't know where else to go." She ducked her head. "Could I stay with you for a bit?"

Snape looked at her for a long moment. "You're not staying with the Prewetts any longer?" he asked and Hermione shook her head.

"I… I don't trust them. They are hiding something and they refuse telling me and…" But Severus waved her of with his hand.

"This sounds like we'll need at least a cup of good English tea for covering that particular story," he said and stepped aside. "Come on in then. Charity is back at school and I was starting to feel the need for a decent conversation partner anyway." He smiled at her crookedly and led her into a comfy looking sitting room. "Make yourself at home then. I'll be back with tea in a minute. And then I want to hear your story from beginning to end."

With that he disappeared and Hermione sunk onto the sofa with a tired sigh. She must have sounded like a petulant teenager at his door, which wasn't the best second impression to make. The old Snape would have scowled at her and sent her away with at least a sneer, but Severus had invited her in to sit her down for a proper talk. And Hermione was surprised to find, that she was even looking forward to hear his opinion on the whole story.

It didn't take him long to return back into the sitting room and after they had settled together on the sofa, Hermione told him about her encounter with professor Lupin and the twin's conversation, she had listened in to. Severus didn't interrupt her once, but followed her story with patience. When she was finished with it ten minutes later, he looked at her while rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "I do see your point, Hermione. Not having all the facts can be unsettling and quite annoying."

She nodded darkly. "Yeah. What do you think they are hiding?"

At that the corner of his mouth twitched. "Seriously? I have no idea. But I don't think it's anything too bad. I'm sure it's something the three of you have been up to in the past which they don't want to spring at you unprepared."

She blinked at him owlishly. "Like what?"

He looked at her with a shrug. "How should I know? The three of you where thick as thieves back then. From a torrid affair to a break-in into Gringotts anything seems possible."

Hermione choked at her tea. "You think we had an _affair_? Like, all _three_ of us?" she said wheezing for air and Severus gave an amused snort.

"Why am I not surprized that this is the thing you are scandalized about and not the break-in into Gringotts?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Whatever." She didn't say anything for quite a while and contemplated the idea of an affair in her head. But she dismissed it after a short while. "What do you think I should do now?" she finally asked her new friend with a small voice and he looked at her with his dark eyes.

"Well, at some point you'll have to speak to them, I guess. But I don't see a reason why you shouldn't stay here for a while and let things settle down a bit."

"I can stay?" she asked enthusiastically and looked at him with wide eyes. He stared back at her with a twitch of his mouth.

"As long as you don't grate on my nerves. There's an empty bedroom with a desk upstairs, which you can use. The books are in the sitting room and you can amuse yourself with them, as long as you know how to treat them properly. The lab downstairs is out of limits though."

Before she knew what she was doing she had pulled him into a fierce hug. "Thank you, thank you so much!" she said and he laughed.

"Don't count your blessing to soon, Hermione. You'll be making breakfast _and_ lunch as I am working downstairs during that time. And Draco's coming over on Saturday. I know you didn't like him very much in the past, but he's still my godson in this timeline."

She let go of her friend and shrugged. "He isn't so bad this time around though. In fact he was my healer when I woke up at St. Mungo's."

"Then it might not be a total disaster after all," Severus said with twitching lips. "And who knows? Maybe the two of you end up shagging each other in the guest room after a few hours." He winked at her and Hermione couldn't help but swat his leg.

"Severus Snape!" she scolded and looked at him with her best imitation of Professor McGonagall. "This is _not_ funny!"

But then the two of them broke out in hysteric giggles. And Hermione had to admit, that she was already feeling worlds better than an hour ago.

2nd of May 1981

Remus Lupin lived in a small understated house in the middle of nowhere. As they hadn't been in the area before Fabian took them to a small village called Barrington in Dartmoor from where they decided to walk the two miles to the house, where Hermione's former DADA professor was supposed to live. It didn't take 500 metres though, until Hermione transfigures her shoes into hiking boots. The path they had to take was winding itself through a thick forest and was plastered with smaller and bigger rocks, that were lying around loosely on the ground. Hermione doubted that many muggles frequented the area but she rather suspected that this was the whole point of her professor's hideout. It took them almost an hour to reach the place and when Hermione finally passed the wooden picket fence to step into the garden, she was sweaty and wished for a shower and a cup of tea. But she guessed that would have to wait.

This time it was Gideon ringing the door bell and Hermione was happy, to stay behind her two friends and wait to be introduced by them. The conversation would be hard enough as it was and it couldn't hurt, if Remus was talking to someone he knew and possibly trusted first.

"Who's there?" came a suspicious voice from the inside of the house that Hermione immediately recognized as Lupin's.

"It's Fabian and Gideon Prewett," the twins announced themselves and after a moment and a mumbled reply the door finally opened. The Remus Lupin that came into view a moment later was much younger than Hermione had ever seen him, but he was thin and the bags under his eyes showed that he was everything else but well. Hermione studied him with sympathy.

"I can't say I've been expecting the two of you. Did Dumbledore send you over? And who's the girl?" the man in front of her asked suspiciously and Hermione decided to keep her mouth shut at first. It was Gideon who gave a reply instead.

"Nah, we're here on our own. Hermione here wanted to meet you, Remus and we hoped to have a little chat with you."

At that one of Remus eyes twitched and he looked at her with analysing eyes that were almost golden in colour. How long was it until the next full moon, Hermione suddenly asked herself. And had the man just been inconspicuously sniffing her? "Alright, come in then. I have nothing to offer you though," he finally said and Hermione couldn't help but release a relieved sigh.

"Don't worry Remus," Fabian smiled. "Hermione packed to feed a whole army. Nothing special, but there's at least a dozen sandwiches and some cookies as well."

Hermione nodded and put down the backpack, she had enchanted with an untraceable extension charm for herself. Of course she knew about Lupin's precarious situation and his problems to hold a proper job in her days, and so she had prepared herself to bring as much food as she could do unsuspiciously. This way Remus was hopefully fed and in a good mood, before she had to spring the bad news on him.

Lupin guided them into a scarcely furnished kitchen area and motioned for them to sit down at a small table in the middle of the room that was covered by a checked tablecloth. Hermione smiled at him thankfully and placed the lunchboxes she had packed into the middle of the table. But Remus watched the offerings with suspicious eyes.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not used to visitors," he apologized after the moment and looked at her.

Hermione nodded with a smile. "I understand. Believe me, I wouldn't have come, if this wasn't so important to me. But I don't want to spring this on you with an empty stomach."

Fabian laughed. "Our Hermione knows how to make a man curious."

"Don't worry, she's on our side. Not sure if you heard about it, but she saved our arses from a death eater attack some days ago. We brought Dumbledore in for a little chat with her afterwards…" Gideon continued and grabbed himself a sandwich.

"… and he reckoned we can trust her," Fabian finished for his brother. Hermione looked at them with warm thankful eyes. She was happy she brought the two of them with her and she remarked to herself, that she would have to remember to thank them for their support later.

Remus looked at her with an inclined head. "Alright then," he said before finally taking a sandwich for himself. "Why did you want to talk to me then?"

Hermione took a deep breath to calm herself. Here we go, she thought before looking at her professor with a serious gaze. "I come to you to deliver a warning," she said carefully without breaking eye-contact. "There… is a traitor among your friends."

His body went rigid instantly and Hermione could see how his gaze turned wary. She sighed. "I know how this must sound to you, Mr Lupin. You don't know me after all, but I swear that I am telling the truth."

At that her counterpart closed his eyes while resting his head on his folded hands. Hermione used the chance to throw her friends a questioning gaze, before fixing her eyes back on her former professor. She waited for his reaction in silence.

"I'm not sure if you are aware of this Hermione, but my friends are like a family to me. I trust each of them implicitly and I have therefore problems to believe, that one of them would be considered a traitor." With that he opened his eyes and looked at her. She nodded at him with a sad expression.

"I understand," she assured him and for a moment she was tried to take his hand. But she caught herself before doing so. The man didn't know her yet and she was sure this gesture would not be appreciated by him. "…and it pains me to tell you otherwise."

He looked at her with his amber eyes and Hermione itched to know what he saw in this moment. "How do you even know there's a traitor? You don't even know me or any of my friends. I'm pretty sure I would remember you, if we've met before."

This was she part she had been dreading. She needed Lupin to trust her, but this time Legilimency was not an option. What else did she have to prove her point? Hermione sighed heavily. "Well, to be honest, I _do_ know you Moony," she said using his nickname deliberately "even though you might not know me in return. I can't tell you why this is, but I swear that I am on your side."

At that something shifted in Remus' eyes and he almost looked at her with something like panic. "Who is it then?" he asked before looking from her to the twins.

Hermione sighed. "It's Wormtail," she said and looked at him with sad eyes. "Check him for the Dark Mark and you'll see for yourself, that I am telling the truth."

Her counterpart looked back at her tiredly. "I'll do as you say, but know that I don't like this one bit. And I swear I'll inquire with Dumbledore about you, because something about you makes my nose twitch in suspicion."

Hermione nodded. "I understand. Thank you for trusting me anyway." With that she got up from her chair and nodded towards the twins that got up next to her immediately.

"I wouldn't go so far as saying that I trust you, but I do trust Dumbledore's judgement. That's why I'll do as you say _after_ contacting the professor. Expect to hear back from me afterwards."

With that the man got up himself and guided them to the door. Hermione send him a thankful smile, before saying her goodbyes. This conversation couldn't have gone much better, she thought to herself, when she and the twins hiked down the small path through the woods. Soon the traitor would be dealt with, she told herself and she couldn't help but break out into a pleased smile at the thought.


	12. Chapter 12

A.N.: Hey guys, I am totally blown away by your support and all the kind words, you are leaving for me. Thank you so much. You're the best! Here's another chapter for you. I hope you like it.

Chapter 12: Dead-end

14th of September 1999

Living with Snape was much easier then Hermione could have ever imagined. She had been in various living arrangements now: the dorm at Hogwarts, the burrow, sharing a tent with Harry and Ron and now living with the Prewett twins in their house. None of it had been easy. Hogwarts, the burrow and the tent had always been crowded and it was easy to grate on each other's nerves. Privacy had usually been almost non-existent. Living with the Prewetts was easier, but as Hermione didn't know those men very well she had always been reluctant to engage in more but small talk with them. She mused it was the same the other way around, because they, too had kept their distance from her. Now that she lived with Snape things suddenly changed. They knew each other, and there was no need for secrets between them. Severus knew who she was, knew her past and she knew his character and some of his darkest secrets, too. So why should they pretend otherwise? And the two of them were more alike, then she had realized until now.

"Those eggs are a nightmare, witch," Severus grumbled at their second breakfast together. "Can't believe you were any good at potions..."

"Potions are different," Hermione grumbled and took some of the over-fried egg in her mouth. It wasn't burned or anything, more like dry and chewy. "There's always some kind of recipe and if you follow it to the boot everything usually works out. Cooking is more about intuition and multitasking..."

Snape hummed in acknowledgement. "Not your strong suits, then?"

"Not really. I like to plan things or working with a clear system or plan. Improvising or changing established patterns has always been hard." She sighed. "I think that's why this new life is really going to be a challenge for me. Nothing is the way it was before..."

She sighed heavily and Severus watched her with a steady gaze. "It's hard," he finally admitted. "In my old life, the one you witnessed, I was never able to do it. And I'm sure it would have been the same all over again if you hadn't shown me what it would lead to. Merlin, I was a cranky unhappy bastard, stuck between two masters that utilized me and with a job I despised."

Hermione nodded. "But that was only partially your fault. This time around you never worked for Dumbledore, did you?"

"I never spied for him, no, even though were fought for the same side in the end," her friend admitted and sipped his coffee. "But that's only half of it, as you know."

"Lilly?" Hermione asked and looked at him uncertainly. He nodded thoughtfully.

"I managed to move on from her, something I was never able to do in your timeline. Of course, it helped, that she is still alive and I wasn't eaten up by the guilt of having been the one that brought her to the attention of the dark lord."

Hermione stared at Severus with wide eyes. "Lilly's alive?"

He nodded with a small smile.

"Did you … did you ever make up? Has she forgiven you for..." Hermione trailed off and looked at him uncertainly. But he didn't seem bothered, that she was referring to his troublesome youth.

"...for calling her a mudblood you mean?" he smiled. "Eventually. It helped that I was fighting for her side against my former housemates, I guess. Shortly after the final battle, she came to see me and we had a long talk."

Hermione smiled at him happily. "That's great! I'm so happy for you." And she really was. She guessed that this was part of the reason why Snape was so different this time around. He had managed to make peace with his past and had finally found happiness for himself. Would she ever be able to achieve that herself?

"She visits occasionally and we have tea together," Snape said with a shrug. "I still like talking to her, but she is much different than in my childhood. I guess seeing that helped me to finally move on."

Hermione nodded. "I still hope to get Ron back, you know? It's absurd as he doesn't even remember me now, but maybe he could learn to love me again? We were happy together, you know?"

At that Snape looked at her with dark, pitying eyes. "Maybe he can Hermione, but I wouldn't get up my hopes too much. In my experience fate is rarely so generous."

Hermione sighed sadly. "I know."

7th of May 1981

Hermione spent most of the days planning her next steps in the twin's library, while Fabian and Gideon buried themselves in their study or went out to ward several homes against the impending death eater attacks. Even though Hermione spent most of her days inside and rarely met someone else than the twins, she heard the news and the names of people that died around her day by day. Of course, she had heard the stories before, but just now when she worked to change the cause of events she realized, how bad it had been and why Harry had been celebrated as the saviour of the wizarding world as a child. Because at the moment the future looked so dark and hopeless that it was barely imaginable, that come October 31st everything could be over from one moment to the other, when a loving mother gave her life for her only son. Not, that Hermione would let it come to that. Now that she had decided to change the past, she wouldn't just stop at helping the Weasleys. She would help Harry too if she could. But that didn't only involve taking Wormtail out of the picture but also beating the Dark Lord without Lily's sacrifice. She could only hope that Harry's sacrifice for her still protected her when it was time for that particular fight.

Suddenly a Patronus in the form of a wolf leapt through the wall in front of her and looked at Hermione with glowing eyes. "Come to my home as soon as possible," Lupin's serious voice spoke to her a moment later. "You can apparate into the garden, it's protected from muggle eyes." With that, the animal resolved in front of her and Hermione stared into the air a moment longer, before she leapt from her chair in the library. The twins were currently out but there was no reason, why she couldn't visit Remus on her own. And so she hastily packed some more food for them, before apparating to his home in the woods. If she was lucky, there would soon be one point less on her to-do-list.

It only took Lupin a moment to open the front door, after she had rung the bell and she followed him into the kitchen with a thankful smile. There she put two lunchboxes in front of them on the table and lowered herself on one of the wooden chairs. He took the seat across from her before looking at her with a solemn expression.

"I did as you asked," he finally said without touching any of her food. "I checked Peter's arms. He's not a Death Eater."

Hermione looked at her professor with unbelieving eyes and for a moment she was speechless. How was this possible? Did Pettigrew defect to the Death Eaters that shortly before the end of the war? Or did he simply never take the mark? Hermione rubbed her temples. "Are you quite sure? Did you check for glamours?"

At that Lupin's eyes turned almost golden again and Hermione couldn't help but shift uncomfortably on her chair. "I am not an amateur," he said in a clipped tone. "And I am quite certain, that he is not one of You-know-who's followers."

She sighed tiredly. That was bad, really bad. Because Hermione knew, that he still would betray his friends. But what could she do to convince them of that fact? "He'll still betray you though," she said tiredly and looked into her former professor's eyes. "Please do not trust him, not any of you."

But Lupin shook his head and looked at her with almost something like pity. "Miss Granger," he said using her last name which he must have learned through Dumbledore. "…these are dark times. If we start to doubt each other, we have already lost. Peter is my _friend_ and I have known him for years. You seem to have an idea what the four of us went through together. The boys have been there for me through my darkest hours, _Peter_ has. I will not betray his friendship now, just because some _stranger_ tells me to do so."

Hermione looked at him with wide eyes. "Even if this stranger is right?" she asked and couldn't help the hard tone that crept into her voice.

Remus sighed and rubbed his forehead tiredly. "Dumbledore trusts you, Miss Granger, otherwise I would almost think you're working for the enemy and trying to drive a wedge between us. But I am willing to give you the benefit of the doubt here. Whatever sources you usually have for your information, I tell you, this time they are wrong. Peter is no traitor, end of story."

Hermione shook her head tiredly. "Is this your last word?" she asked and he nodded coldly. She took a deep breath. "Very well then. I this case I wish you a good day." Without another word she rose from her chair and walked to the door. She didn't even register Lupin walking her out and closing the door behind her. Her mind was already focused on the problem at hand. Because failing to safe Harry's parents was not an option.

7th of May 1981

"What's wrong Hermione?" Gideon asked her after he had caught her viciously stabbing her potatoes during dinner. She had been in a foul mood for the rest of the day and had buried herself in the library, where she was searching for possible ways to expose Pettigrew as the traitor he was or to save Harry's parents from their fate. But no matter which books she checked, she didn't even find the smallest hint. It was beyond frustrating.

"I visited Lupin today," she finally admitted and pushed her almost full plate aside. "Pettigrew is obviously not a Death Eater."

Fabian looked at her while playing with the stubble on his chin. "Not yet."

Hermione nodded unhappily. "He _will _betray them," she said and looked at her new friends with sad eyes. "Because for me it has already happened. And if he does, people will _die_ and I just don't know how to _stop_ it." Hermione felt the tears spring into her eyes and wiped them away angrily. She didn't want that the twins saw her like that. But it was already too late.

"Hey," Gideon said with a calm voice and took her hands into his. "We're not letting this happen, Hermione," he promised and stroked the back of her hand with his thumb. His brother nodded solemnly next to him.

"We'll think of something, don't worry. There's still time, right?" Fabian asked and she nodded tiredly. "Yeah, but I don't know how much. I don't know when he betrays them, I just know when Voldemort starts to act on the knowledge he gains from him."

They studied her with warm trusting eyes. "Hermione," they began together before Gideon continued for them. "I know this is a difficult situation for you. You feel like you have to carry all of this weight alone."

"But you don't," Fabian went on and put his left hand on hers and Gideon's. "Gideon and I are there for you. You can trust us, you _really_ can. So just tell us what is going to happen and we'll find a way to prevent it, the three of us together."

Hermione looked at them with wide eyes and racing heart and they stared back at her unflinchingly. Right at this moment, they reminded her of the Weasley twins, reckless and brave Fred and George that ran an underground radio station to keep sending untampered information out into the world and that stood at their side until one of them lost his life. Hermione swallowed heavily. It was hard for her to trust them because she knew almost nothing of them. But she had trusted Dumbledore and even Snape with her secrets and maybe it was time to be brave just once more. "Alright," she finally said with a determined nod. "I'll tell you what is going to happen. And hopefully, we'll find a way to avert these things - together."

The twins looked at her proudly. "Thank you. We'll not let you down Hermione, we swear."

16th of September 1999

Hermione's memories kept coming back, even though she hid herself away at Snape's house. They mostly came at night in the form of dreams, but sometimes they would also spring at her during breakfast or while she lounged lazily on the sofa. No matter when it happened though, she always found a headache potion right next to her, when she stumbled back into reality again. It weren't always important things she kept remembering, sometimes it were trivial things like Gideon's favourite food or moments the three of them had spent together in the library looking for a way to save Harry's parents. But no matter what memories came back to her, they all involved the Prewetts and Hermione found that she started missing them. Some nights she was almost looking forward to falling asleep again, in the hope that there would be another memory coming back to her. It felt a bit like having Harry and Ron back in her life and doing research on some mysterious task that had been sprung on them again. Only that Fabian and Gideon were much more competent and patient research partners then her childhood friends had ever been, but thinking that almost felt like betraying her friendship to Harry and Ron.

Saturday rolled around the corner faster than Hermione had deemed possible and before she had mentally prepared herself, she was suddenly facing dinner with Draco Malfoy. To say Hermione felt awkward, waiting for the arrival for her childhood tormentor in the sitting room, would have been a vast understatement. Snape had graciously provided her with emerald green robes for the occasion and Hermione felt like he was secretly trying to annoy her into leaving his house. But that was probably just her imagination.

Draco arrived through the floo at point 7 p.m. and he stepped into the sitting room, with not a hair out of place. He wore his pale blond hair combed back and had donned a casual black polo-neck sweater.

"Hello Miss Granger," he greeted her politely before stepping into the room. "My godfather already informed me, that we would be meeting you here."

Hermione blinked at him confusedly. "We?"

He nodded casually. "Yeah. Severus also invited a good friend of mine. She should be here at any moment. We've been in the same Hogwarts House. Her name's Luna, Luna Lovegood. Do you know her by any chance?"

Hermione looked at him like he had just grown a second head but before she could say something in reply, the floo roared again and a totally unfazed looking blond girl hopped onto the carped and waggled her naked toes with a dreamy smile. "Luna?" Hermione asked and looked at the girl with wide eyes. Her former friend looked back at her with curiously: "Hello Hermione Granger," she said and send her a slow blink. And Hermione couldn't help but break out into a huge smile. Because the young woman in front of her looked very much like the same person, that Hermione had known before.

"Hello Luna," Hermione replied and looked from her to Draco with a happy smile. If the two of them were really friends, then this evening suddenly didn't look like a chore at all.

Indeed dinner was a pleasant affair. Severus had put his skills to good use and prepared a meal for them that would have even made Molly Weasley jealous. In combination with the wine that Malfoy brought for dinner and the funny observations Luna shared about the world around her, Hermione was thoroughly enjoying herself. Until she started do notice the odd look that Luna kept throwing at her.

"Luna? Is everything alright?" she asked and looked at her former friend with a tilted head.

Luna sent her an odd smile. "That's actually what I wanted to ask you, Hermione. You seem..." she paused for a moment and looked at Hermione with furrowed brows "not totally present if you know what I mean."

Hermione blinked confusedly. "I'm sorry? Did I seem absent to you?" She asked and looked at Severus and Malfoy questioningly. They shrugged and Severus shook his head with a roll of his eyes.

But Luna seems totally unfazed. "That's not what I actually meant. It's like you are physically not completely here, as a part of you is still somewhere else. Tell me Hermione, have you travelled recently?"

At that Malfoy choked on his drink, while Severus looked at his guest with a self-satisfied smile. And suddenly Hermione got the impression, that Luna was invited for a purpose. She carefully nipped at her drink, before giving the answer: "I guess one could say that. I... am a time traveller, Luna."

But instead of being shocked, Luna looked at her with an excited smile. "Well, that explains it then," the girl said and sipped on her own glass of wine while swinging her legs below the table. "This happens to time travellers a lot. But it resolves itself as soon as you have decided."

Hermione looked at her and the others in confusion. "Decided? I'm sorry but I have no idea what you're talking about." Severus and his godson looked equally clueless and studied at Luna with unveiled interest. The blond woman smiled dreamily.

"I am probably not the best source of information here, as I have never travelled time myself. But you could ask Professor Dumbledore, I guess. He has travelled a lot."

Hermione frowned at her before she nodded slowly. "Ehm, alright. And what should I ask him about?"

The smile that Luna sent her at that was almost unsettling. "Ask him about the time traveller's curse."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Tipping the scale

9th of May 1981

After opening up to the twins, Hermione felt worlds better and even though they were still no closer to finding a solution, it helped to know that she was not carrying the weight alone any longer. And their friendship had definitely grown though her willingness to trust them.

Most of their time together was spent in the library, where they went through their books together. But when the tension on Hermione's shoulders was too much, they brought her down into their training room, where they exercised each other in duelling, charms and transfiguration. It felt a bit like being back in the DA and Hermione enjoyed the small reprieve from the duties, she had forced on herself.

"Maybe we should go and see professor Dumbledore," Hermione said after another day of fruitless searching through the stacks of books. "The man's a great wizard and he agreed to help me to some extent. What do you think?"

"It can't hurt," Fabian said and scratched his head. "I'll send him a Patronus if you like and ask if we can talk to him."

Gideon nodded. "Fine by me. If he can't help us, we can still work on plan B."

"Plan B? What's that?" Hermione asked with raised eyebrows, but the twins cast her a boyish look. And for a moment they very much reminded her of the Weasley twins. If that was a good or a bad thing Hermione couldn't say.

It only took half an hour until the three of them were standing in the headmaster's office and Dumbledore looked at them with inquiring blue eyes. Hermione more than ever felt like she had broken a very important rule in school, but having tried to meddle with time was probably worse.

"Well, Miss Granger. I can't say I'm surprised to see you, as I was expecting your visit for a few days now," Albus said and offered her a Lemon Drop. But Hermione politely declined.

"You see, Remus has talked to me about your… suspicions concerning his friend, Peter Pettigrew."

Hermione nodded. "Yeah, Peter will betray his friends, he'll betray Lilly and James and they will die at Voldemort's hands."

Dumbledore nodded and looked at her with inquiring eyes. "And you've set your mind on saving them?"

"I have," she said with determination. "Remus has checked Pettigrew for the Dark Mark though, but he is not yet a Death Eater. And he's not willing to go against a friend without soundproof."

Her headmaster looked at her thoughtfully. "I see. But tell me Miss Granger, haven't you originally set your mind on saving another family from their fate? Where does the sudden interest for the Potters come from?"

For a moment she simply gaped at him speechlessly. "Pardon? What do you mean with _sudden interest_? Harry is my friend as much as the Weasleys are, sir."

But he just looked back at her calmly. "This might very well be, Hermione, but please remember that you came back into this time with a certain purpose. Time travel and especially trying to change time is a very dangerous thing. And the more changes you decide to make, the more dangerous it gets."

Hermione swallowed thickly, but she couldn't bring herself to say something in return. And so Dumbledore continued: "The universe as we know it is like a scale. It needs to be in balance. Changing too many things will automatically tip the scale to one side and that is never a good thing. Fate might take something in return, that you are not willing to give."

"Do you mean to tell me, that you will not help us, sir? You could easily save Lily and James. Just tell them not to make Peter their secret keeper," Hermione pleaded and looked at him urgently. But Dumbledore looked at her with sad eyes.

"Even though I'd very much like to help you, Miss Granger, I fear I can't," he said and the twinkle in his eyes was gone. "As I said, the universe is like a scale. And mine is already tipped to one side. I need to be very careful with the changes I am making and as much as it pains me: James and Lily are no priority of mine."

It was as if a bucket of cold water was emptied above her head and a heavy shudder went through her body. Fabian and Gideon must have felt it, too, as each of them suddenly placed a calming hand on each of her shoulders. But it wasn't doing much good, even though it prevented her from leaping out of her chair and storming out of Dumbledore's office right away. "Let me get this straight, professor," she said instead with gritted teeth. "You could help them but you are deciding not to because you don't want to tempt fate? Or because you _have_ tempted fate already?"

The headmaster sighed tiredly. "Well Miss Granger, this is only for me to know. But I hearten you to consider this: Who is it you love most in the world? And who comes after that? Think carefully, Miss Granger. As I said, changing fate comes _always_ with a price. How much are you willing to pay?"

Hermione felt the twin's grip on her shoulders tighten and she swallowed down the answer, she had intended to give. Instead, she nodded pensively and said: "Thank you for your advice Headmaster. I will carefully consider everything you said. But for now, I will excuse myself."

With that, she got up stiffly from the chair and with a polite nod towards the headmaster she marched towards the floo. Fabian and Gideon followed her like her personal shadows. And Hermione was never so glad to have them on her side.

9th of May 1981

Hermione stumbled out of the floo and crashed on the floor of the twin's study, where she kept sitting on the carpet and stared at the floor with unseeing eyes. Her thoughts were a battlefield. A part of her wanted to curse the headmaster and his unwillingness to help them and the Potters', wanted to laugh at his cowardness. But another part of her brain already started processing his words and going through the people she loved most. There was Ron of course and her parents, but also Harry and the Rest of the Weasleys. All of them were like family to her, even though she had already kind of lost her parents when she sent them away during the war. Did that mean they were safe? And what did it mean, when fate took them from her? Would they die? Forget her? Or totally disappear? She didn't know and the questions still kept coming. She had already tempted fate by saving Fabian and Gideon. Did that mean she would be paying already? And if she did: whom would she lose? And how many people could she safe, until she had lost all of the people important to her?

Before she even realized it, a sob escaped her and her first crashed down on the carpet in despair. A moment later angry tears rolled down her face.

"Hermione…" Gideon's voice sounded behind her and a moment later her body was gripped from behind by his strong arms. "Please don't cry." He must have lowered himself down on his knees right behind her because she could feel his abs, as she leaned her head against his chest. Fabian kneeled down at her side just a moment after and put his arms around her shoulders, in the attempt to console and steady her. Hermione accepted the gesture with her heart swelling with gratefulness.

"I know it looks bad at the moment," Fabian said while gently stroking her shoulder. "Dumbledore doesn't want to help us, okay. But we'll still find a way to save Lily and James. Not just because they are important to you. We'll save them because it's the right thing to do." Gideon, who had put his chin on her shoulder from behind, nodded.

Hermione sniffed. "I'm scared," she finally admitted without looking up. "What if Dumbledore is right? What if this universe has something like a scale, a scale for anyone of us? The people I am trying to help at this time _are_ the ones I love most. What if by trying to help them I just make everything worse?"

They held her tightly while she cried and for a while, none of the twins replied, as they seemed to progress her words. But finally, Gideon said quietly: "I know this is a difficult decision Hermione and it is none you should make lightly because you'll have to live with it for the rest of your life." He hugged her tightly. "Maybe you should just ask yourself, what's the decision you _couldn't _live with in the future? Is it risking your loved ones? Or not saving the Potters?" She looked at the floor for a while longer, before leaning her head into his that was resting on her shoulder. "It's not that easy, but I know what you mean. The problem is that I don't know exactly what I'm risking. Am I risking to kill my friends? I don't think so to be honest. People don't just die out of thin air, we would have heard about it, don't you think?"

"Probably," Fabian agreed calmly. "But in times like these, you can't know for sure. Lots of people are dying around here, and before there was the war with Grindelwald raging. So it's not always possible to tell the reason for somebody disappearing."

Hermione pondered that in her head for a while. She had no problem risking her own life, but had she really the right to risk the lives of other people as well? She sighed. "I want to go and see my parents," she said suddenly and straightened on the floor.

"Your parents?" both of them asked in surprise before letting go of her. She nodded.

"I need to see if they're alright. You know that I already changed some events and I need to know if they are affected. The are muggles..."

"Alright," Gideon said and suddenly he stood before her, offering her a hand to pull her up. Hermione accepted it with a smile.

"You're okay with that?" she asked in surprise and looked at him and his brother.

"Course we are," Fabian grinned. "It's not like they will recognize you or anything. And if we muck this up somehow, we can always obliviate them."

Gideon snorted and Hermione sent them a short smile. None of the brothers noticed, that she secretly stiffened at the mentioning of that particular suggestion.

9th of May 1981

Hermione side-along apparated them into a small alley close to her parent's house in London. Their street was located in a very cosy area and several old but well-tended brick houses with huge gardens shaped the character of the neighbourhood. Here no one sensed the danger of the war that was raging in the wizarding world and when Hermione stepped onto the sidewalk, she could see that the playground which was close to her house was highly frequented. It was late afternoon and most of the parents used the last rays of sunshine to spend some time outside with their children. As Hermione looked closer, she spotted her mother's brown hair and pink coat among the other parents on the playground. And immediately a wave of nostalgia and yearning hit her.

"Over there," she whispered and pointed her head towards the little park across the street. She linked her arms with both of them, having each twin on a side and pulled them with her into the park. And when she came closer she spotted herself on the baby-swing. At the age of 20 months, her hair had been a curly mob of short hair that stood into all directions. And not for the first time she could see the resemblance to her father that was pushing her swing with a proud grin from behind. Seeing him that close to her younger self was almost too much for Hermione and she could feel her throat tightening with unshed tears.

"The girl on the swing?" Gideon whispered into her ear. "That's you, right?"

Hermione nodded. "My parents came here quite often. As a child, I loved the playground, even though I was usually playing alone or with my parents. Other kids were always to wild for me and I guess I weirded them out by using _big words_."

Fabian snorted. "You were a bit of an overachiever, huh?"

"You have no idea," Hermione said with a dry laugh. They sat down on a bench close to her mum and for a while, she just sat there silently and soaked everything in. The twins watched the kids play with big smiles and now and then she saw their eyes drifting towards her toddler-self. And Hermione couldn't help but wonder what they thought. Was it weird seeing the same person twice at different stages of growing up? She imagined it would be. But just as she wanted to ask them about it, her eyes drifted towards her younger self again. And then it happened: it was like the toddler's body became more and more transparent and for a short moment it totally disappeared, only to blink back into existence a second later. Hermione shook her head in confusion.

"Have you seen that?" she asked and looked at the twins with her heart beating nervously.

"Seen what?" they asked her at the same time, but Hermione had already fixed her eyes back on herself.

"It just looked, like mini-me just disappeared for a second," she said and motioned towards the swing. And just then it happened again. "Did you see?" she asked the Prewetts again, but they just shook her head in confusion.

"No, for me everything looks just fine," Fabian said and fixated her younger self with furrowed brows. Gideon hummed in agreeance on her other side. They waited for a while but whatever had happened to young Hermione, it didn't happen again. It was all a big mystery to her and when the three of them left the playground half an hour later, Hermione had more questions than before. But she had the sinking feeling that something was happening to her. And it wasn't good.


	14. Chapter 14

A.N.: This chapter was really hard for me to write. I hope it is not showing too much. A lot of stuff is happening here, some of it obvious, some of it hidden. I'd love to hear your theories in the comments if you're up for it.

Chapter 14: The time traveller's curse

18th of September 1999

Hermione was haunted by a flood of memories during the night and the following day. Malfoy's and Luna's visit must have given her internal barrier, or whatever it was holding back her memories, a big shove and now everything tumbled back into her brain at once. And it _hurt_. The first night she awoke screaming in pain and only after an almost panicked looking Snape had shoved three different potions down her throat she finally got better. But the memories kept coming and so it was almost 36 hours later when she finally crawled out of her bed.

"Welcome back to the living," Snape greeted her when she stumbled into the kitchen with bleary eyes. "You gave me quite the fright."

"I'm not apologizing," she snapped and threw herself on one of the chairs. "Because that would imply I was doing it on purpose." She knew that she was sounding quite dramatically, but she didn't care. If this man was really her friend, he'd have to take her in a bad mood.

Snape grunted an inscrutable response, before stirring something in his pan. A minute later he put a plate with a perfect looking omelette in front of her. "Do you feel better now?" he asked her neutrally while sitting down across from her at the table.

Hermione gave a tired nod. "There's only a mild headache left, but I refuse to take another potion for that. At the rate my memories come back now I'll need your potions again soon enough."

"Probably," her friend replied and sent her a scrutinising gaze. "I guess your visit with Dumbledore will have to wait until things in your head have calmed down a bit."

Hermione moodily stabbed her food, while grumbling something in return. But Snape just sent her a sugary sweet smile. Cheeky bugger.

19th of September 1999

Hermione's birthday rolled around the corner, without her even realizing what day it was. She had just spent the night with another flashback and when she opened the eyes after being woken by a clawing noise at the window, she felt like just ignoring it and pulling the blanket over her face. But then she realized it was an owl, a very persistent owl. Hermione groaned and after a moment of self-pity, she finally stumbled towards the window and opened it.

The owl that swooped into her room was a huge barn owl with white and brown shiny feathers and curious blue eyes. It landed on her bedpost, where it patiently waited for Hermione to close the window again before offering its leg to her. Hermione spotted a parcel that wasn't much bigger than her hand. Who in the world was sending her something by owl and why?

She furrowed her brows, but when the answer didn't present itself, she gently untightened the mysterious bundle from the owl's leg. Just as she had fully taken it into her hands, the thing suddenly shifted and enlarged itself to the size of a large book. Hermione gave a startled yelp and dropped the parcel onto the bed. The owl watched her actions with a curious gaze and an inclined head but after Hermione refused to touch the mysterious package for several long seconds, it gave an encouraging hoot.

Hermione sighed in annoyance. "Alright, alright, I'll open it," she said and poked the damned thing with her index finger. Nothing happened. And so she finally gave herself a mental shove and unwrapped the mysterious bundle under the watchful eyes of the huge bird on her bedpost. Inside was a dark wooden box with intricate animal carvings. Hermione immediately spotted an otter, a fennec, a wolf, an arctic fox and even a stag among them but there were others. And all of them were hidden in a huge, widely branched tree that filled out the entire lid of the box.

"Merlin this is beautiful," she gasped and looked at the present with wide eyes. And just like that, the little arctic fox on the box seemed to move its tail before disappearing behind a large tree root. She rubbed her eyes in wonder. Did she just imagine that or were those animals really moving? Hermione stared at the carvings in concentration, but after some seconds she was interrupted by another impatient hoot from the annoying owl.

"Oh right, sorry," Hermione said and jumped from her bed, where she summoned a box of owl treats from the kitchen. "Here you go," she apologized and offered the bird a hand full of grey pellets. It could have been her imagination, but it looked like the animal gave her an unnerved stare, before picking up one of the treats and swallowing it in one bite. It bobbed his head in gratitude, fixed her with its blue intelligent eyes again and clicked its beak impatiently.

"You want me to open the box?" she asked confusedly and the bird bobbed its head in acknowledgement. Hermione couldn't help but snort. "You're quite bossy," she mumbled before she sat down on her bed and pulled the wooden box towards her. And after taking a deep breath she opened the lid carefully. The interior of the box was clad out with red silk that was also embroidered with little animals. But Hermione's gaze was pulled to something that looked like a large soup bowl with a letter resting in its centre. Hermione looked at the owl questioningly and after the impatient animal had clicked its beak again, she took the letter in her hands and opened it. The message it contained was rather short:

_Dear Hermione,_

_We wish you a very happy twentieth birthday and hope you like the gift we send you. It is a pensive. We build it for you in the hope that it will help you to remember your friends and family the way they were and spend some happy moments in their presence, even though they are out of reach for you now._

_Your friends, _

_Fabian and Gideon_

Hermione stared at the letter in her hands with moist eyes and after a short moment, the tears started falling. They had given her a pensive, she thought, as the first sob escaped her mouth. She wasn't even _speaking_ to them at the moment but they had still remembered her birthday and given her something. And what a thoughtful gift it was. Merlin, she felt like an idiot.

It took a while for her to calm down and when she finally managed, she rubbed her eyes with the sleeves of her pyjama and gave a heavy sigh. The owl still stared at her with unreadable eyes but Hermione refused to be bothered by the interest of a nosy bird. She gave the letter in her hand a last long glance before putting it carefully on her nightstand. Then she pulled the wooden box closer and looked inside. From the outside, the pensive looked like a wooden bowl that was carved from a dark, knotted tree branch. The inside was coated by a blue-greenish shiny material that looked like nacre to Hermione. But it could as well have been some sort of enchantment or magical substance. The most beautiful feature of the pensive were the three animals though, which were sitting on the rim of the pensive. When Hermione looked closer, she could see them moving as well. A fennec, an arctic fox and an otter were circling the bowl as if they were carefully stalking each other around the rim. Hermione stared at them in wonder and after a short moment of hesitation, she carefully put her index finger in front of one of the animals. The little fennec instantly stopped in its tracks and instead carefully smelled the appendage in front of him. Hermione smiled.

"This is truly magical," she said in awe and looked at the bird in front of her with wide eyes. "Your owners are true geniuses. And I am a bloody coward." She removed her finger from the pensive again and folded her hands in her lap. The little wooden fennec looked up at her and blinked. "They told me I can trust them and Severus did so too. And somewhere deep inside me, I can _feel_ that they don't wish me any harm." She looked at the owl on her bedpost and sighed. "I think I should go back to them, you know? I can feel this tugging towards them deep down in my belly and I can't really explain it. I want to see them again and it's totally irrational. _It doesn't make sense_. And I hate it when things don't make sense." She blinked at the huge bird, before shaking her head with an amused smile. "But I should probably write that in a letter, shouldn't I?"

The owl hooted softly in return. "Alright. Could you wait a bit longer? This might take me a while." The animal gave her a slow blink and started to clean its feathers with its beak. And Hermione trotted towards her desk where she pulled out some parchment and a quill.

It almost took her half an hour, until she found some words, that didn't sound totally insensitive or embarrassing. She still wasn't totally satisfied with her answer but decided that it would have to be enough for now.

_Dear Fabian and Gideon,_

_Thank you so much for your very considerate birthday gift. I truly appreciate the effort you put into creating it and I am moved that you would send such a beautiful thing to me. I feel honoured that you consider me your friend and I very much want to consider you mine as well, even though I have some problems showing that at the moment._

_Hermione_

She sighed. She wanted to write more, ask them for a meeting, but she simply could not find the right words to do so. And so she decided to wait if they would send her a reply.

"Alright, this will have to do," she told the bird and carefully secured the letter on its leg. Then she opened the window and carried the owl towards it. "Do you feel up to flying back? Or do you want another owl treat first?" she asked and could have sworn, that the bird sent her a dirty look in return. Then it leapt of her arms and flew across the pointed dirty roofs of Cokeworth into the distance. And Hermione couldn't help looking after it with a wistful sigh.

20th of September 1999

Hermione waited until the following day to see the headmaster, even though she considered visiting him right away if only to take her mind off the twins. But then she remembered Severus' words and willed herself to be patient. Because visiting the headmaster would surely lead to another set of flashbacks. And even though Hermione was impatient to get her memories back, she wasn't keen on spending any more days confined to her bed.

The twins didn't send her back a letter that day and as she didn't send them a direct question in her own one, she probably shouldn't have expected it.

The headmaster's office looked very much the same as during her school days. There was probably a bit less magical clutter in the shelves, but even that Hermione couldn't say for sure.

"Ah, Miss Granger," the headmaster greeted her as soon as she had stepped out of the floo and dusted off her robes. "I got your message this morning, do come in."

Hermione nodded with a polite smile and stepped closer to his desk. Today professor Dumbledore was clad in a sky blue robe that was decorated with little silver suns. They glittered whenever the man moved, but she did her best not to get distracted and fixed her eyes on the man's face. "Thank you for receiving me, Headmaster."

The man nodded with a kind smile. "Is this about the upcoming NEWTs? Or is there something else I can do for you?"

Hermione smiled. "This is not about the NEWTs, sir. My revisions are going quite well, you see, but lately, my memory-flashbacks were quite interfering with my studies. But I'm positive that I'll be able to sit the exams by the end of the year."

"I believe this is good news, my dear," the man said with a twinkle in his eyes. "Even though this most likely leaves only one reason for visiting me."

She nodded uncomfortably and for a moment the memory she had recently regained of him resurfaced. But she pushed it back immediately. "I recently had the pleasure of meeting Luna Lovegood, sir," she started. "...she said something odd, more odd than usual I mean. To her, I appeared to be not fully present and when I asked her about it, she sent me to you."

"I see," Professor Dumbledore replied and studied her intensely. Hermione couldn't help but wonder if he was trying to see for himself, what she had just pointed out to him. "Did Miss Lovegood happen to say something else?"

Hermione swallowed heavily. "She said to ask you about the time traveller's course. In fact, she was convinced you might have some first-hand knowledge experiencing it, sir."

The professor looked at her with an unreadable expression and Hermione started to shift in her seat. But after some long seconds, he sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Your friend is right, Miss Granger. I do happen to have some experience with the curse myself," he then started and conjured two cups of tea for them with his wand. "I'm sure you are already aware of the changes, you made to the timeline, Miss Granger. Not every time traveller does decide to change something though and therefore not every one of us experiences the curse himself."

Hermione took a careful sip from her cup. "But you have, sir?" she asked and tried to analyse his reaction. For a moment his eyes looked into the distance and a painful smile crossed his face.

"I am not sure if you are aware of my history Miss Granger, as almost nobody in this timeline has an idea, but I happened to have a sister, Arianna."

Hermione nodded. "I know, sir. She was involved in some kind of accident, was she not?"

"Well, I guess that's one way to put it," he said with a humourless snort. "But let's leave it that way. In my youth, I had a good friend and we did some experimentation on time travel," the professor continued and Hermione was pretty sure that he was referring to Grindelwald. "But we soon realised that interfering with time is not easy. After... my sister's death I had quite some problems on my own plate and I stopped looking into it. Until I met you 18 years ago."

Hermione nodded but she couldn't help the dark look that crept into her eyes. "You warned me about the risks and refused to change time yourself," she said but at that Dumbledore shook his head with a smile.

"That's not quite correct, Miss Granger. I warned you about possible consequences, but only after experiencing them first hand. You see, between our first and second meeting it might have been only days for you, but it was months for me."

She looked at him with wide eyes. "You tried to save your sister, didn't you?" she asked and he nodded tiredly.

"In fact, I did save her," Dumbledore corrected and Hermione looked at him with a pleased smile. But his expression remained unreadable.

"But that's great, sir. Where is she? Is she living with Aberforth?" she asked and looked around his office in the hope to catch a glimpse of a picture or another proof of Arianna's existence. But there was nothing.

"She's dead," her professor replied after a short while and fixed her with his gaze. "You see, saving my sister had a price Miss Granger and when it was my time to pay, to live with what I did, I realized that I couldn't."

Hermione blinked at him in confusion. "I think I don't understand, sir. What happens if you can't live with the price you have to pay?"

At that Dumbledore smiled. But it was a sad, almost pitiful smile. "You see, Miss Granger, this is the time traveller's curse. By changing the timeline one creates something like a second timeline and for a short while these two timelines exist next to each other."

She swallowed. "You mean there is still another timeline without all the changes I made?" She shuddered. Because she realized that this meant that somewhere in this universe George was still suffering. And many other people were sharing his fate.

The headmaster nodded. "I believe this timeline still exists, yes. You see Miss Granger, by performing all these changes you became something like an anchor to both timelines. At the moment you can still access both of them, even though your consciousness remains mostly here, as this is the timeline you need to get yourself acquainted with. But from time to time you might also get flashes of the world that could have existed if you had never travelled back."

Hermione's eyes widened at the realisation. "You mean like a dream?"

"It might be a dream, or just pictures springing into your mind," Dumbledore answered. "It might not have happened yet, but prepare yourself for the fact, that it will happen sooner or later. And that's the point where you realize, what you meddling has cost you."

She nodded and took another sip from her cup only to realize that her hands were shaking. "So that's the curse? To be confronted with the things you lost day by day?"

But the professor shook his head in regret. "No Miss Granger. The curse is that the time comes where you have to make a decision. You see, there can only be one timeline in the end. And you'll have to make the decision which one that is. You can go back to the moment before you travelled back and no one but you will know what could have been. Or you decide to stay and live with all the things you have lost and all the changes you made. In the end, it is your decision."

Hermione froze in her chair and stared at him in shocked silence. She could go back? That would mean she would be able to see Ron, _her_ Ron and be with him. She could get back Harry and maybe even her parents if she finally managed to locate them. But it would mean condemning all those people that were alive and happy in this world to their fate. She gasped.

"It really is a curse, isn't it Miss Granger?" the headmaster said and looked at her with sad eyes. And she looked back at him with a heavy heart.

"You decided to go back, didn't you?" she asked but she already knew the answer. "That's why your sister isn't here."

Dumbledore nodded and Hermione could have sworn that his eyes were glittering with unshed tears. "Yeah, the price was too high," he said.

"What happened?" she asked breathlessly but at that, he shook his head in regret.

"That is only for me to know. But don't worry on my behalf. I have made my decision already and I'll have to live with it for the rest of my life. And so will you."

Hermione shuddered. "How long?" she asked and cleared her throat nervously. "How long until I have to decide?"

The corner of his mouth twitched. "Until you regain all of your lost memories I believe. Only then you can grasp the whole extent of the decision you are facing."

She looked at him with wide eyes before giving a humourless laugh. "But what kind of choice is that? I can't just kill all those people that are alive and well around me only because I am selfish..."

But the professor only gave her a knowing smile. "You see Miss Granger: that is the curse. You _can_ refuse to pay the price as I did because no one but you will ever know what could have been otherwise. There's no one but yourself to judge you."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: What is lost

20th of September 1999

When Hermione stumbled back into Severus' sitting room the world around her was spinning. It was all too much. How would she ever be able to make such an enormous decision? But was there even much of a choice? Everyone around her was so much happier and even more important - alive. Wasn't it, therefore, a small price losing Ron, Harry and her parents in return? And had she even lost them? Maybe she could befriend her mother again and build something new with her friends, too? Wasn't it at least worth trying? It definitely was, Hermione decided and strode towards her room. There she took out some more parchment and scribbled a note to Molly Weasley. The woman seemed to know her history and maybe she would be willing, to introduce her to her sons again. Asking her for a little get-together definitely couldn't hurt, right?

The dreams came as soon as Hermione fell asleep. It almost was like knowing about the possibility of having them opened some kind of door inside of her mind. And suddenly she was back at the burrow with Ron, cuddling in his bed or watching him, Harry and Ginny play Quidditch together. It was pure torture and when Hermione finally woke up, her whole body was yearning for a life she could no longer have, or better should not have. Because if Dumbledore was right she _could_ go back and nobody would ever know what she had done or better _not_ done.

Molly's invitation into the burrow for dinner on the same day came the next morning. Even though the note she sent Hermione via owl was rather short, it helped her shooing away her night's dreams. What better way was there to satisfy her yearning after her boyfriend then being able to see the man himself in the evening? Maybe they would even be able to form their old friendship again and who knew? In a year they could be already back to cuddling in the backyard.

21th of September 1999

Even though Severus mocked her tirelessly for dressing up, Hermione did so with pleasure. It was a long time ago that she had the chance to properly take care of herself and even though it was just a Weasley dinner, she decided to treat herself with a long bath and the new shirt and jeans, she had bought for herself in Diagon Alley the day before. Severus had graciously agreed to lend her some money for this little shopping trip and even though he swore that he didn't need the money back, she promised to pay him back, as soon as she was making an income on her own.

"Merlin, you've really set your mind on getting him back, haven't you?" her black haired friend said, as soon as she came down the stairs and entered the living room.

She shrugged and sent him an insecure smile. "Is it too much?" she asked and looked down at herself. "I could probably try out some less tight jeans or maybe remove the earrings?"

But Severus just snorted at her in amusement. "You look fine," he told her and rolled his eyes. "Just do yourself a favour and don't be too obvious with him. Because in the end you might even end up in bed with him, but you'll always be the one that he got too easily."

She looked at him with wide eyes and rosy cheeks. "Well, that's not the impression I want to make. Thanks for the warning."

He smirked. "Anytime. And now out with you woman. I'm looking forward to an evening in _peace_."

Hermione laughed and grabbed her jacket from the coatrack. A moment later she shouted her goodbye from the hallway and was gone.

From a distance, the Burrow looked very much the same to Hermione, but as she walked closer from the apparation point, the differences became more and more obvious to her. The house seemed in much better shape and Arthur's little tool shed had made room for a bigger, much more comfortable looking studio with large windows and when Hermione looked through them she thought, that the man was spending most of his time there tinkering away. The biggest change to the burrow was the large, almost professional looking quidditch pitch though, that had replaced the small home-made version in the backyard. It reminded her that Ron even more of a quidditch fanatic now than he had been before. But if that was the price she had to pay for her meddling, she would gladly accept it.

"Look who's there," she suddenly hard a well-known voice behind her, that made her stop in her tracks. But before she had the chance to turn around, two redheads already appeared at her side and looked at her with a cheeky grin.

"Mum already told us that you would be here for dinner," Fred said casually and offered her his arm. Hermione took it with a smile.

"I hope this won't get too awkward for you," George continued for his brother. "Mum told everybody what happened to you, so you needn't worry about people not knowing who you are."

"Well, that's good I guess. Now I at least won't be taken for a nutter when I mix things up." She chuckled darkly, but Fred just looked at her with a raised eyebrow before pulling her with him.

"Nobody's calling our favourite aunty a nutter," he grumbled and Hermione couldn't help but make a pained groan.

"Would you two _please _stop calling me that?" she complained in an unnerved tone.

"What, a nutter?" he said and gave her a cheeky grin in return.

Hermione couldn't help the chuckle escaping her mouth. "That, too."

Fred and George escorted her into the house. They only made it into the hallway, until the kitchen door flew open and Molly Weasley hurried towards them with a big smile and open arms. "Hello my dear," she said and pulled Hermione into a quick hug before she turned to her sons. "Oh, you two…" she huffed and pulled them close. Fred and George allowed it with a good-natured smile. "Did you finally come to see your old mum? Burying yourself in this shop of yours…" As soon as she started to ruffle their hair, they pulled away in protest.

"Mum!" Fred moaned and took a hasty step back. George followed him a second later.

"It's not like the products invent themselves," he explained. "It's really hard work and if we want to be able to pay next month's rent…"

Their mother huffed in irritation. "I told you to apply for a ministry job. Your brother and your father could have helped…"

"It's not for everybody, Molly," her little speech was interrupted by a voice that came from the kitchen. And when Hermione looked up, she saw Fabian casually leaning in the doorframe. She smiled at him shyly. "Those two would be wasted away in this stuffy old building. It's not what they are made for."

"They can always join Gin' and me in the quidditch pitch," a very well-known voice said behind her and a moment later Ron strolled towards his mother and pulled her in a hug. "They were quite passable beaters a few years ago and as far as I know the Derbyshire Devils are still looking for some reserves." He grinned at his brothers but Fred and George just rolled their eyes at him. That's when Ron's eyes finally fell on her.

"Ah, Miss Granger, right? I heard you really _are_ a family friend after all," he said and offered her his hand with a wide smile. Hermione shook it awkwardly.

"Yeah, she's with us," George said and put his arm around her shoulder. "So don't try to bore her out of her mind with your quidditch talk."

Ron waved them of unconcernedly. "Yeah, she doesn't really look like a quidditch player, does she…?"

Hermione huffed in annoyance. "_She_ is standing right next to you Ronald…" she told him with raised chin "…and, therefore, would appreciate it very much to be addressed like she was part of the conversation, thank you very much."

Fred snorted behind her in amusement. "Bit of a wildcat, are we?" he whispered over her shoulder and she couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Let it all out then. Our little brother already has a big enough head as it is."

Luckily Molly decided to usher all of them into the dining room at this very moment and so Hermione just sent the twins a dirty look before following them to the table. Most of the Weasley family was already seated and the conversation was flowing, even though the dinner hadn't even started. Arthur, Bill and Percy were already discussing the latest article in the prophet with a blonde short haired witch that must have been Bill's age on one end of the table. But as soon as Hermione entered the room with the others, their eyes shot up and the men broke out into a wide smile.

"It's Hermione Granger," Percy explained and got up from his chair to welcome her. Hermione smiled happily.

"Hello Percy," she said and took the hand he offered her enthusiastically. "It's nice to meet you." And she really meant it. Percy had been another Weasley that had suffered before Hermione had jumped back into the past and she was happy to see, that he was happy and well this time around.

That's when Arthur pulled her into a hug. "Welcome back Hermione," he said and patted her back. "I'm happy you finally came to see us. I'm sure you remember my eldest son, Bill." Hermione nodded and send the eldest Weasley a warm smile which he promptly returned. "And that's his lovely fiancé, Nymphadora Tonks."

Hermione looked at the woman with wide eyes and truly, now that she knew it was Tonks, she could see the similarity, even without the woman's bubble gum pink hair. And as the supposed wife of Remus Lupin looked at her with a wide smile, Hermione's insides turned to ice. "They're engaged you say?" she asked Arthur and the man nodded proudly. And Hermione couldn't help the silent groan that escaped her mouth at the news. This was not supposed to happen she thought and looked at the happy couple in front of her. If Tonks didn't marry Remus Lupin than Teddy Lupin would never exist. And she had the bad feeling, that this was somehow her fault.

The next several minutes Hermione experienced through some kind of fog that made it impossible for her to follow the conversation. But somehow she ended up at the other end of the table with Fred and George at her sides and Ginny and Ron across from her.

"So you say you went to Hogwarts with us," Ginny said and grinned at her, just as Hermione was aware of her surroundings again. "How was it like?"

Hermione looked at her former friend confusedly. "What do you mean?"

The youngest Weasley sibling rolled her eyes. "Well for example: Were I and Harry also a couple? Who was friends with whom? Whom did you date? That kind of stuff."

Hermione smiled at her and for the first time, she realized, that Harry had also been invited to the family dinner and sat right next to his pretty girlfriend. At least something in this timeline was like it was supposed to be. "Well, I was friends with Harry and Ron from the first year on, we were in Gryffindor together. You and Harry dated in your fifth year and then again after the war. Looks like the two of you are meant for each other." Ginny smiled happily and took her boyfriend's hand with a grin. But Harry looked at Hermione with scrutinizing eyes.

"But there was a war going on? With Voldemort, right?" To Hermione's astonishment, nobody flinched at the mentioning of the name.

"Yeah, it actually started in our first year, but it only got really bad after the Triwizard Tournament. Did they also do the tournament here?" Harry nodded with a big smile.

"But you didn't attend, right?" Hermione asked sceptically and he shook his head with a wry smile.

"Merlin, no. Can you imagine? That would have been a catastrophe. I was what, 14? No, Cedric Diggory represented our school, won the thing, too."

But before he could say something else, Ginny had already fired the next question towards Hermione.

"Enough of that. What about you, Hermione? Did you have somebody? You look like you could have had a soft spot for my brother…"

Hermione choked on her drink. "You mean Ron?" she wheezed but Ginny snorted.

"No, not _him._ Maybe someone a little older and more mature…" she winked at her. Hermione shook her head with a sigh but didn't answer. Instead, she looked at George and asked: "And you have a joke shop here, too?"

The man next to her grinned proudly. "Course we have one. It was mine and Freddie's dream. But I think you knew this already."

Hermione nodded happily. "That's great George. I bet the two of you are brilliant at what you do."

"Course we are," they said in unison but Ron, who was sitting across from them, snorted.

"Yeah, I'm sure WWW will be a great success, once you paid off your debt." It must have been the wrong thing to say because Hermione immediately felt Fred and George next to her stiffen.

"Well _brother dear_," George mumbled sourly to himself but Hermione was still able to hear. "If you'd have lent us a hand instead of throwing your money at every woman that crosses your path…" But somebody must have kicked him under the table because suddenly he grunted in pain and closed his mouth.

"We're still doing mail order in the evenings," Fred explained instead. "This way we can make some more money and pay off the debt to Gringotts. But don't worry Hermione, it's what we want to do and therefore worth every hour of overtime."

At those words, Hermione's heart swelled in pride. She had always known that the Weasley twins were hard workers. Only this time around starting their own business was much more difficult, as they didn't have Harry's money from the Triwizard Tournament. But she was sure they'd find their way anyway. "Would you mind if I came over to your shop sometime next week? I think I'd really like to see it. I loved the place the first time around, but I think I never even told you." She couldn't help the sadness that was creeping into her voice, but luckily the twins didn't seem to notice.

"You're welcome at our shop any time, Hermione. But you should probably come over around closing time. It's much quieter then and we can show you around," Fred replied with a proud grin and Hermione nodded. Yes, she would definitely visit them. And maybe they would even be able, to pick up their old friendship along the way.

The next hour of dinner was spent with comfortable small talk. Ron, Ginny and Harry mostly discussed quidditch with each other while Fred and George told her about different products from their new WWW line. Hermione found that she was enjoying herself and for the first time she could almost pretend, that she was back at home again. It was like one of the evenings that she spent at the burrow before her sixth year and she couldn't shake off the wave of nostalgia that gripped her heart at the memory of those happy times. That was until a plop of apparation right next to Ron let her cringe in alarm and pull out her wand.

"Hey Hermione, calm down, would you? It's just my elf," the redhead across from her explained with a snort of amusement. Hermione's eyes drifted from him down to the floor. And really, there was a small female house-elf with batty ears standing in front of Ron that was clad into a clean kitchen towel which was embroidered with some sort of quidditch logo.

"Master Ron, sir. I is sorry to interrupt, but there is a lady waiting in your sitting room, sir." George, who was sitting next to Hermione gave an amused snort, but Hermione ignored him as she watched the scene in front of her with growing horror. "Blinky has served Miss some tea, sir. But Blinky is not sure how long young lady is going to wait." The elf wrung its small hands nervously.

"It's alright Blinky. I'll be there in about ten minutes," Ron replied and the small creature made a deep bow, before disappearing again.

"Ronald Weasley," the voice of his mother shrieked from the other end of the table. "How often have I told you not to have this elf interrupting dinner?" she said but the redhead just grinned at her apologetically.

"Sorry mum," he mumbled with red ears, before savouring another mouth full of stew. Hermione stared at him in disbelief. "You have an elf," she said after she had finally found her voice again and the boy looked at her with a pleased smile.

"Yeah, but they are quite expensive. I had to save up quite a bit before I could afford this one. But Blinky was worth every Galleon, keeps my flat in perfect order."

At that something in Hermione snapped. "But Ron, that's _slavery_," she protested and looked at him in disbelieve. "Those poor creatures work day by day without ever getting a break or some sort of reward."

But the man just looked at her with confusion. "Well, it's what they want to do, Hermione. They are bred to serve, it's what makes them _happy_," he explained casually, before wiping his mouth with a napkin.

"Well but that's because they don't _know better_," she protested and looked at him with pleading eyes. "But maybe if you gave Blinky a day off or some sort of payment…"

But Ron just looked at her like she had just grown a second head. He sighed. "And then what? She'll go and buy herself some ice cream? Look, it's obvious that you don't know how these things go. Maybe it is because you are muggle-born or your parents just never explained those things to you…"

But it was enough. "My parents don't even remember I exist," she shouted before she leapt from her chair. "So don't you dare make assumptions, because _you clearly don't know me_." With that, she stormed into the direction of the door.

"Hermione, dear. Dessert is almost ready," Molly shouted after her, but Hermione didn't even turn around.

"Thank you Molly, but I think I've just lost my appetite," she bit out, before jerking the door open and storming out. She could feel the eyes that followed her, but Hermione found, that she didn't care.


	16. Chapter 16

A.N.: This is one of my favourite chapters so far. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. I am currently writing chapter 21 and looking at the things I have still planned for this story, it will definitely be 30+ chapters to read, probably more.

Chapter 16: What is gained

21th of September 1999

Hermione marched into the Burrow's garden and went straight for her favourite spot below the huge willow that was growing by the little pond behind the house. It was the place she had always visited with Ron to have some peace and quiet from the chaos inside of the house. And so it was only natural for her to come back to this very spot. A flick of her wand transfigured a stone on the ground into a comfortable blanket and she threw herself onto it with an annoyed huff. She couldn't believe how different this Ron was from the boy she had known and loved. All his brothers seemed to be more or less the same, so why was he different? Was it because his best friend Harry had never been in the spotlight and Ron therefore never stood in his shadow? Or was it because Hermione hadn't been around to talk some sense into him, while he was still growing up? She didn't know but it was obvious that this man was not the Ron she knew and had come to love, and the realisation broke her heart.

"Mind if I sit with you?" a voice asked her from behind and Hermione knew without looking up, that it was Gideon who came looking for her. She shrugged nonchalantly.

"Go ahead. But I might not be the best company at the moment," she warned and made some space for him to her right. He sat down next to her without comment. They looked at the night sky in silence for several minutes until Hermione realised that she had finally calmed down. Her heart was still thumping in her chest and she was still disappointed and annoyed, but at least she didn't feel like crying any longer. Well, not right now, but she was sure the tears would come later when she was in bed.

"He was your boyfriend, wasn't he?" Gideon's voice suddenly said softly next to her and she sighed.

"Yeah," she said but avoided looking at her friend. "He was different though. I barely recognize him now. How can this be? He's still the same person with the same family after all. So why is Ron suddenly such an arse?"

Gideon didn't answer her right away. Instead, he pulled out his wand and cast a warming charm on them. And just then Hermione realized that her body had started to shiver from the cold.

"That's a question I don't have an answer to, Hermione. Ron was always the one of Molly's kinds that was easily overlooked. During school, he made some pretty good friends and when he finally made it into the Quidditch team, he found a self-confidence that has made him into the man he is now."

Hermione closed her eyes and sighed deeply. "I think it's the war. It all changed us. Even during our Hogwarts days so many things happened, every year there was something dangerous going on. We all had to grow up so fast…"

Gideon hummed in agreeance. "Yeah, a war can do this to a person. I still remember how it was when you stumbled into our lives. Suddenly there was hope again, but also so much danger…"

Hermione looked at him with wide eyes. "What happened Gideon? What did we do?"

But he just looked at her with a sad smile. "You'll know soon enough, don't worry."

They stared at each other in silence for a while, with all those unspoken words hanging between them in the air. There was so much that was left unsaid between her and the twins and Hermione felt, that she missed the friendship that she witnessed in her flashbacks from the past. "I really liked your birthday present," she finally admitted at a loss for something else to say. "I'm not sure if my letter could transport how much I appreciate it."

Gideon looked at her with blue twinkling eyes. "The message came through, don't worry. I'm happy you like it. The design is all Fabian's work. He's brilliant at transfiguring things. I did the enchantments to make it work though."

Hermione looked at him in awe. "It's beautiful. I wish I could do magic that incredible."

The man next to her smiled, before taking her hand carefully into his. "You have done some truly incredible things, Hermione, even if you can't remember them yet. But don't worry, the memories will come back to you in time. Try to be patient, I know it's hard."

She nodded seriously. "I'll try, even though patience isn't really a strength of mine."

Gideon smiled before looking down at their entwined hands. "We could teach you some magic if you're really interested. With your talent, it should be easy for you to pick some things up. Would you like that?"

Hermione's face broke out into a huge smile. "You'd really do that? You'd teach me?"

He nodded happily. "Anything you like and that you are interested to learn, within our abilities of course. Would you like to come over tomorrow evening?"

"I'd love to." Hermione couldn't help herself, she hugged him. The urge to do it was suddenly there and she followed it without giving it to much thought. For a moment Gideon just sat there in stunned silence for several seconds, before his arms suddenly found their way around her back.

"Thank you for coming out here to talk to me, Gideon. I already feel much better now," Hermione mumbled and rested her head on his shoulder. But her friend gently pulled back and looked at her with a soft smile.

"I'm glad. Do you feel ready to head back in then? I'm sure any minute later and Molly will send over the cavalry to get us back in."

She laughed. "We wouldn't want that now, would we?"

Gideon grinned. "We really wouldn't."

11th of May 1981

"And you're sure you'll be fine on your own?" Molly asked them while looking at the three friends with doubtful eyes.

"Don't worry Mol's" Fabian said and patted his sister's shoulder with a smile. "Bill, Charly and Percy are good lads. I'm sure we'll have a lot of fun together in the workshop."

Gideon nodded enthusiastically. "And Hermione seems to have a soft spot for your twins. We'll be fine. Don't worry too much."

The woman looked at them with an amused smile. "All right you three. I won't fret then. But don't tell me afterwards I didn't warn you. Those twins are really a handful." Little Fred and George giggled while hiding behind her legs. Now and then one of them peeked around his mother though and risked a shy smile at Hermione, before hiding with a giggle again.

"It's alright Molly," Hermione assured the older woman. "Fred, George and I are already the best friends. I'm sure we'll have such a good time."

Mrs Weasley smiled at her. "Well, alright then my dear," she said, before crouching down and looking at her son's with a stern gaze. "And you lot be good to your uncles and your aunty Hermione. I don't want to hear any complaints about you, tomorrow."

The five boys nodded solemnly at their mother and shuffled their feet. "We'll be good," ten-year-old Bill promised and looked at his siblings. Charly and Percy agreed with an enthusiastic nod.

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow then," their mother said with a deep sigh, before looking back at the three newly appointed babysitters. "Thank you for agreeing to look after them on such a good notice. I would have hated to send them over to Muriel's."

Hermione couldn't help but shudder at the thought and by the look of it, all assembled boys felt the same. The three eldest Weasleys put on a brave face, when their mother kissed them goodbye. Fred and George though didn't seem to mind the parting from their mother at all and rushed to Hermione's side as soon as Molly let go of them. "Aunty Hermione!" they shouted together and hefted themselves on her legs. And Hermione looked at them with eyes full of adoration. She was actually looking forward to spending some time with the two of them. And how hard could it be, to take care of two three-years-olds? She knew all of their tricks, after all.

Hermione wasn't sure who of them enjoyed their time together the most. As soon as their mother had disappeared through the floo, the two of them had launched themselves at Hermione and started talking and explaining their pranks. Their brothers looked at them with unhappy eyes, but Hermione really didn't mind. And so she led the enthusiastic three-year-olds into her room, where she showed them all the magic tricks she knew while telling them stories of her own time at Hogwarts. She really couldn't show them that much as Fred and George never shared their secrets with her back in her old time, but she had seen some of their products after all. And Hermione Granger wasn't the brightest witch of her age for nothing. She created little animated animals that circled and climbed the boys who giggled and cheered them on enthusiastically. After that, she encouraged them to tell her their ideas for possible pranks and she listened to all of their wild schemes with an attentive smile before giving some own advice or words of praise. In her earlier life Hermione would have never imagined doing that, but after having experienced the men's dedication to their family and friends, seen their creativity and witnessed their fate she was determined, to give them every bit of affection and support she could muster. And the little boys paid her affection bit with an enthusiasm that made Hermione feel like she was the centre of their little world, if only temporarily.

"Did you know, that aunty Hermione has seen real _dragons_," they boasted during dinner and little Charly looked at her with wide eyes. It was obvious, that the little boy was already totally in love with those dangerous beasts and Hermione nodded towards him with a gentle smile.

"It's true," she said and with a flick of her wand, she transfigured one of the spoons into a little animated Hungarian Horntail, much like the one that had been used for the Triwizard Tournament itself and after sending a wink towards Gideon and Fabian she handed it to the boy with a kind smile. "You can keep it if you like," she said and Charly looked at her like she was some kind of saint. Fred and George instead watched the whole encounter with almost something like a pout.

"Aunty Hermione is _our_ friend," she heard little Fred warn of his older brother with a dark look while his twin nodded enthusiastically. Gideon and Fabian must have heard it too, as they already sent her a knowing grin.

"You've spoilt them rotten, haven't you?" Fabian mumbled and she couldn't suppress the grin forming on her face.

"Course I have. That's what favourite aunties are for after all."

Gideon, who was standing behind her, snorted. "Not that you really _are_ their aunty. But to them, it doesn't matter. Those kids have already adopted you into the family. They'll call you aunty for the rest of their lives."

Hermione smiled happily. "I honestly wouldn't mind. They're great boys, all of them."

Fabian looked with her with a knowing grin. You aren't going to let them sleep in your bed tonight, are you?"

Hermione snorted. "Why does it sound to me like you're jealous?"

"We're allowed to sleep in your bed?" George suddenly interrupted them from behind and before Hermione could even reply, he and his twin looked at her with huge puppy eyes.

Gideon, who stood behind the boys, already chuckled knowingly. Hermione looked down at the little redheaded twins with an insecure smile. "Well boys, I don't know…" she mumbled with slightly pink cheeks.

"Oh pleeease aunty Hermione," they started to begin unison and Hermione could hear Fabian snort.

"You could tell us how you smuggled this baby dragon out of Hogwarts again or about brewing forbidden potions in the girl's bathroom…" the little chatterboxes started and Hermione hastily silenced them with a dark look.

"Alright you two," she finally relented with a defeated sigh. Those little devils had already wrapped her around their little finger, hadn't they? "I'll let you sleep in my bed. But only if you promise not to spill any more of my secrets to your uncles." Fabian and Gideon chuckled, while the twins let out a victorious yell and bolted from the room.

"We're allowed to sleep in aunty Hermione's bed!" they shouted victoriously while running up the stairs. "She's going to tell us stories _all night_!"

Hermione groaned. "Merlin, I'll not even be able to get an hour of sleep now, am I?"

Fabian and Gideon chuckled. "Probably not."

21th of September 1999

When Hermione tiredly stumbled out of the floo into Severus' living room, the man was still up and waiting for her on the sofa. There he sat with his feet propped up and a book in his hands, while a glass of red wine rested on the small table to his left.

"Well, how was it?" he asked, without raising his eyes from the page he was studying. Hermione sighed and threw herself into the wing chair at his feet. "Ron has a house-elf," she grumbled and immediately her friend lifted his eyes and looked at her with a questioning gaze.

"So?"

"And he seems to entertain quite a lot of woman… and he is an _arse_!" Hermione rambled on with increasing volume in her voice.

Severus smirked. "Doesn't sound like you'll conquer him any time soon."

She huffed in annoyance. "Not bloody likely, no. Merlin, it's like I broke up with him and he doesn't even _know_."

He smiled. "Hermione Granger is swearing? I think that's a really bad sign. You want a glass of wine or the whole bottle?"

Hermione looked at her friend for a long moment, before finally giving a careless shrug. "Do you have any hangover potions in the house?"

Severus grinned. "I'll put one onto your nightstand," he promised, before conjuring an empty glass for her and filling it with red wine.

She sighed. "Then I feel like getting pissed," she said. "But I'm not drinking alone."

"Of course not. What kind of lousy friend do you think I am?"


	17. Chapter 17

A.N.: I really shouldn't post today as work it currently swallowing me up and there is no time for me to write something new. But your encouragement just made me want to give you another chapter and so I at least did some proofreading. I am not sure how the rest of the week will be, though. I might be able to add another chapter, but I might as well not. Life is really a challenge right now, sorry.

Chapter 17: Losing it

21th of September 1999

It only took a glass of wine for Hermione to start crying on Severus' shoulder, but luckily she wouldn't remember much of it in the morning. She usually didn't indulge in alcohol at all and so it didn't take much for her to loosen up. And loosening up at the moment meant crying – a lot. But Severus took it all with calm grace and listened to her drunken ramblings while smiling kindly and handing her one tissue after the other.

"And he's got a fucking _house elf_, can you imagine Severus? After everything, Dobby and Kreacher did for us. _Can you imagine_?" she ranted while pouring herself another glass. "Dobby saved me from being tortured, saved us all from dying in that horrible Manor. He was _happy_ being free Severus, even though he was dying he was happy to die as a free elf in the arms of his friends!"

Severus hummed in acknowledgement. "But Dobby's not dead here, he surely isn't. I could find out if you like. Would that make you feel better?"

But Hermione just took another sip of wine and raved on. "Well, that wouldn't help much now, would it? He is clearly no longer a free elf either and won't remember _any of it_. Merlin, I swear I slowly start losing my mind, Severus. It's like nothing is the way it should be, not even _you_." She gulped down her second glass of wine and closed her eyes for a moment to fight the dizziness. "But Ron is making even less sense, so don't worry. We were so _happy_ together, I could have sworn we were meant to be. Merlin, what if we were? Am I going to die as an old spinster with only having cats and kneazles for company?"

Severus seemed amused by the thought, as he couldn't hide the smile that was tugging on his lips. "Don't be absurd Hermione. And remember who you are talking to. I _know_ how it is to lose the person I loved, to see the person I loved finding happiness with somebody else."

Hermione blinked at him owlishly. "Ah yeah, sorry Professor, I forgot," she said and Severus looked at her with a frown.

"Not your Professor, remember?" he said but it seemed that his words could no longer reach her. Hermione's eyes had already gotten that hooded look and her body was sagging down on the sofa.

"How did you do it, Professor? How did you sacrifice your own happiness for years and years for the persons you loved, without them even knowing what you did? How could you stand it?" she asked after a moment of silence and the tears started to fall even faster down her cheeks. "I can't do it, Professor, I really can't. Everyone seems so happy here, well _almost_ everybody. Not Teddy though, Teddy can't be happy because he isn't even alive _and it's my fault_," she wailed and the man next to her was staring at her in confusion and worry.

"You aren't making sense right now Hermione," he said and patted her back. "Who's Teddy?"

"He's Remus' _son_, who's never even going to be born because I have messed things up somehow," she shouted, before snatching the bottle of wine from the table and taking a big gulp directly from it. "But I could change that, you know? Just have to go back as Dumbledore said. I could have it all back, have Ron back, too. And nobody would ever know."

With that she fell to the side, landing her head directly in Severus lap. There she just rested on her side and stared into the room with unseeing eyes. Her friend didn't say anything though, probably because at the loss for words.

"But that would mean letting all of you die, _so many people_. I can't very well do that, can I? But sometimes I want to, want to go back to Ron and to Harry, just be _happy_ again. Don't I deserve to be happy, too?"

He was stroking her hair now and stared at her with wide sorrowful eyes.

"How am I going to ever make the right decision, professor? How?" finally the words on her lips were dying down as the soothing fingers in her hair calmed her down. It didn't take long until no sound but a soft snore left her at all and Hermione fell asleep in her friend's lap. Severus didn't sleep at all that night, as he contemplated the things he had just learned. After a while, he carefully carried her up into her bed, before putting the promised hang-over-potion on her nightstand. Hermione would need it in the morning and after what he just heard, he might need one, too.

13th of May 1981

The visit of Fred and George left Hermione bonelessly tired but satisfied in a way, that only spending time with her friends could achieve. And that was worth every minute of sleep she missed, while she told the two troublemakers of every adventure and prank she could remember from her past.

Still, she needed a full day of recovery after Molly had picked up her boys the next day and they had waved her goodbyes to her with glowing eyes and wide smiled. And so it took a while before Hermione went to make another important visit in the hope to change the fate of those she loved.

"It's a good idea to talk to Sirius," Fabian murmured while flanking her left side on their walk through Diagon Alley. "He's part of their little gang, too and maybe he will be willing to listen to you."

Hermione sighed. "He might not, but Pettigrew is not the only reason I need to talk to him. The other reason is even more important. You remember the… _things_ I'm looking for? I need his help getting one of them."

The twins stared at her with wide eyes. "Well, no pressure then, huh?"

Hermione laughed humourlessly. "No, absolutely none."

Sirius Black waited for them in the Leaky Cauldron, where he had sat himself down on an empty table and ordered a big pint of butterbeer. He must have watched the entrance to the pub carefully though because as soon as the twins entered with Hermione in tow, he nodded in their direction with a wolfish smile. Sirius was a good looking man, a fact that had still been visible 15 years and a long visit in Askaban later. But Hermione still wasn't prepared for the striking features and the charm that was directed towards her now.

"Remus didn't mention how hot you are," he told her with a charming smile while offering her a hand in greeting. "I'm Sirius, Sirius Black." Hermione smiled at him and took the offered hand with pink cheeks.

"Hermione Granger," she said. "Thank you for agreeing to meet with us, Mr Black." Sirius smiled and before she registered what he was doing, he pulled her hand up and pressed a kiss onto the knuckles of her hand. "It's Sirius to such charming little witches like you." Hermione looked at him with wide eyes, before hastily snatching her hand away. But the man only chuckled and looked at her with an amused grin.

"Let's sit down, shall we?" Gideon said from behind with a neutral tone and without waiting for an answer he and his brother slid on the cushioned wooden bench at the window. Hermione sent them an annoyed look, before taking the seat next to Sirius.

"Well Miss Granger," he said before looking at her with his dark eyes. "I hope you aren't here with the same suit you visited Remus with because I fear my answer will be much the same as his. Even though I'd love to see you trying to convince me otherwise."

The twins across from her snorted, while Hermione stiffened in her seat. Merlin, she really wasn't prepared to deal with this flirty version of Harry's godfather. Because no matter how much she wanted to just snap at him, she really needed his help. "Well, I am really sorry to hear that, Sirius. But at least promise me, that you will try your best to protect Lilly and James. If they ask you for your help with something, please accept their request and don't hand it off to somebody else. Could you at least do that much?"

He looked at her with furrowed brows. "You're really serious, aren't you? Well, I guess I can do as much. Now, how about I invite you for some butterbeer and chips and you tell me a bit more about yourself, Hermione?" He fixed her with his dark eyes and Hermione could feel her heart rate picking up. She shivered. "Butterbeer would be nice, thank you," she replied as politely as she could muster and without waiting for the twin's answer he leapt up from his chair and strolled to the bar.

Hermione looked at her friends with wide eyes. "You're not leaving me alone with him, do you hear me?" she told them matter-of-factly while boring her eyes into them. They grinned amusedly.

"We could just tell him you're taken and show a bit of possessive behaviour," Fabian suggested and Hermione swatted his head with an annoyed huff.

"Don't you dare," she whispered before casting a panicked look into Sirius' direction. But the man was luckily still busy with ordering their stuff. "I don't need him tattling around about my supposed love life at the next order meeting. Just… stay at my side, would you?"

They nodded with a grin. Just a moment later Sirius was back with their drinks and he slid Hermione's butterbeer over with a suggestive smirk. Hermione took a deep calming breath. "Thank you for the drink," she said before taking out her wand and casting a silent Muffliato on them. "There is actually another thing I would like your help with Sirius and it might be more up your alley." Sirius took a large gulp from his own fresh glass of butterbeer before looking at her with curious eyes.

"Is that so? Well, what did you have in mind, kitten?"

Hermione almost choked at the use of her old nickname, but she caught herself in the last moment. Instead, she swallowed her drink down before locking her eyes with his. "How do you feel about breaking into your mother's home and stealing something from her house-elf?"

The man looked at her with startled eyes. "Kreacher? What do you want from him?"

Hermione looked around and studied the room with watchful eyes. "I can't tell you down here, sorry. But we could ask Tom for a private room upstairs."

Immediately the smirk returned into his eyes. "You want me to go with you upstairs?" he asked with raised eyebrows and twinkling eyes.

Hermione smiled sweetly at him. "No, actually I want to go upstairs _with the three of you_."

Fabian and Gideon snorted, while Sirius just watched her with a wide grin. "Hermione Granger, you naughty little thing."

It only took them about ten minutes to finish their drinks and rent a room from Tom for an hour. Hermione didn't know what story Sirius told him, but when he came back with the key, the bartender cast her a dubious look before tending to his other guest again. She groaned inwardly but followed the boys upstairs without making a single comment. The room Tom picked for them was a medium-sized bedroom with a large bed at the opposite side of the door and a table at the window, that came with two wooden chairs. Hermione looked at the black-haired wizard with raised brows.

"Were all the private dining room already taken?" she asked without expecting an answer and claimed one of the chairs for herself. Gideon quickly took the chair next to her, which left the bed for the other two wizards. But the men just shrugged with a grin and sat down on the edge of the mattress.

"Well, Hermione? Can you now tell me what all of this is about?" Sirius asked and looked at her casually. Hermione sighed. She had long struggled with herself how much to tell him about what she knew, but as her attempt to bring Lupin to her side so spectacularly backfired, she decided to not be too secretive.

"As Remus might already have told you, I have some knowledge, even though your friend doesn't believe in the validity of the information I gave him and you seem to agree with him." She looked at Harry's godfather solemnly but he just shrugged helplessly at her.

Hermione sighed. "However this is not the only information I possess. You need to know, that it is my goal to finish the Dark Lord for good, but to do that I need to find certain… things that were once in his possession."

Sirius looked at her sceptically. "And you think Kreacher has one of those things?"

She smiled at him. "No, I _know_ that he has one. Your brother Regulus was one of Voldemort's servants once, as you very well know. But he wasn't when he died. Regulus had discovered the Dark Lords darkest secret after the Dark Lord had borrowed Kreacher to hide one of those…artefacts away. Kreacher almost died under his orders, but he returned to you brother who nursed him back to health."

The dark-haired wizard looked at her with a serious expression now but didn't interrupt her. And so Hermione just continued with her story. "Kreacher told your brother everything and he and Kreacher went out to get what the Dark Lord had hidden away. But only Kreacher made it out alive and he brought a necklace with him. Your brother gave him the order to destroy it, but a far as I know, he is not able to. But it _needs_ to be destroyed."

She looked at Sirius solemnly and he stared at her with a dark expression. "Do you try to tell me that my brother died in the attempt to …" But he stopped himself and shook his head with a lost expression. "How do you _know_ these things?"

Hermione sighed. "I can't tell you. But you can ask Kreacher to confirm my story if you can convince him to even talk to you. He knows I am telling the truth." Sirius closed his eyes with a pained expression and when he opened them again, he looked at the two redheads with analysing eyes. "What about you? Do you believe the things she's saying?"

Both of them smiled. "We do."

Sirius sighed. "Alright, I'll help you," he said before rubbing his forehead. "We'll break into my parent's home."

"Thank you, Sirius," Hermione said and broke into a wide smile. But the other wizard just shook his head amusedly.

"Don't thank me yet, Hermione. But I won't mind your gratitude afterwards." He waggled his eyebrows at her and Hermione couldn't help but swat his leg.

"Sirius, you're such a _dog_."

Hermione threw herself onto the sofa with a groan, as soon as they stumbled into the living room of the Prewett's home. Who would have thought that dealing with the younger, by Askaban untouched Sirius would be such a challenge?

"Tired?" Gideon asked her and sat down to her right, while his brother chose the other side.

"Yeah, I really wasn't prepared for this version of Sirius to be honest. But that's not it. I can't help but worry. There's still so much on my plate and I'm not really closer to helping Lilly and James."

Fabian took her hand into his and rubbed her palm with his hand soothingly. "Don't worry about that, Hermione. We'll find a way."

"I'd love to just lock the traitor away, find a nice little cage for the traitorous rat," Hermione spat and looked darkly into the room. "Did I tell you that I once caught a beetle-animagus in a jar?"

Gideon snorted next to her. "You didn't…" He paused. "Merlin you mean it, don't you? Remember me not to get on your bad side Hermione, ever."

She laughed. "Well, I do have a little vicious streak…"

Fabian pressed her hand and looked at her with curious eyes. "Who was it? The Animagus I mean? Do we know him?"

Hermione shrugged. "I don't know. Her name is Rita Skeeter. She's working for the prophet and she wrote some horrendous things about me and my friends."

Fabian looked at her with wide eyes. "Little mousy Rita? Who would have thought…"

Gideon snorted in amusement. "I surely wouldn't. She went to school with us, was a year our senior. Never talked to anybody and hid behind her books. I wonder what she did after leaving Hogwarts, never heard a peep about her afterwards."

Hermione waved him off. "Whatever. But there's one more problem we need a solution for. If we really manage to get the Horcrux, we need a safe place to store it until we have a way to destroy the soul fragment. The first time around we just carried the thing around our neck, but I will not do that again. It starts corrupting your soul."

Fabian looked at her. "You mean something like a safe box?"

Hermione nodded. "Preferably at a place, nobody but us can find."

Gideon grinned. "That's easy then. Because Fabian and I have all the expertise between us that is needed, to create something suitable for you. We'll bring the box along for our little break-in. Don't worry Hermione."

She looked at both of them with wide eyes. "Are you sure?"

They nodded in unison and cast her a reassuring smile. "Absolutely."


	18. Chapter 18

A.N.: This is just a short chapter, but I hope you like it anyway. It is a bit angsty, too but nothing explicit is described, so it shouldn't be too upsetting. While writing this chapter and the next ones I really had a big writer's block. I hope this is not showing too much.

Chapter 18: Partners in crime

22th of September 1999

Hermione woke in her bed with a skull-splitting headache and the feeling that something had recently died on her tongue. There was a funny taste in her mouth and when she tried to open her eyes, it was much too bright in her little bedroom and she fell back into the covers with a pained groan. Merlin, what _happened_ to her? She tried to remember and saw herself coming back from the burrow last evening. Then there was an image of Snape sitting on the sofa and welcoming her with a glass of wine. Merlin, she had decided to drink, hadn't she? She had tried to drown her pain of losing Ron, _her_ Ron, with red wine. Could she sink any lower?

She squinted her eyes open very slowly and after blinking a few times, she was able to focus on the room. There was a small vial of hang-over-potion on her nightstand and Hermione snatched it and drowned it down immediately. The headache and the dizziness faded immediately and for a moment she felt, that she might fall madly in love with her genius and thoughtful friend of a potions master.

It took five more minutes until Hermione was finally able to get up and go to the bathroom, but when she emerged there half an hour later, she was feeling almost normal again. Severus was nowhere to be found downstairs, but that wasn't unusual as he was most likely brewing in the basement. But she was greeted by a plate of bacon and eggs on the kitchen table, which her thoughtful friend had left under a warming charm for her. She just wanted to sit down, as a screeching and scratching noise at the window caught her attention. It was a tawny owl with huge dark eyes and brown feathers that waited in front of the kitchen window for her. It was a beautiful bird with brown and white feathers and it looked at her curiously before offering her the letter on its leg with an encouraging hoot. Hermione took it gently and offered the owl some owl treats that Severus had stashed in the kitchen for the incoming birds and after taking a few bites and nibbling at her finger in gratitude the little feathered messenger dashed off through the window again.

The letter was from Harry, Hermione would have known his chicken scratch that he called writing everywhere. The note was short, but Hermione had to read it three times before processing its contents. It was an invitation for tea to Potter Manor in two days time. Harry wanted her to meet his parents and two younger siblings Emma and Grace. It was absurd, almost surreal. Harry's family was alive and well in this timeline. It was out of the question, that she would meet them. And so Hermione hastily scribbled her answer and went to fetch Severus owl.

16th of May 1981

"Merlin, I can't believe we are doing this," Sirius murmured in front of them as they approached his former home at Grimmauld Place 12. "I never wanted to go back to this place again."

"I'm sorry to make you go back. Hopefully, it will just be a quick in and out. Do all of you have their copy of the locket with you? If you find it, just replace it and we leave," she said and held herself close to her two friends.

"We're all set," conformed the twins next to her and Hermione smiled proudly at them. Sirius only grunted an unintelligible answer and kept on walking.

"Are you sure nobody's at home?" Hermione asked and hurried her steps so that she was walking next to the black-haired wizard now. At that, he stopped in his tracks and stared at her with a dark expression. "Would you stop nagging witch? You are driving me _crazy_," he grumbled and shook his head. "No, I am _not_ sure they're not at home. How could I be? I haven't been to that hellhole of a house for _years_. But I know their habits and I am pretty sure my mum and Kreacher are in the Black's holiday residence in Italy. They usually spend April and May there, so that mum can meet her delightful little Italian friends. It's kind of a family tradition."

Hermione nodded sternly. "Alright. In the worst case, we can take them down, if we must. Right?"

Sirius blinked at her in surprise. "I guess we could. But we need to watch out for Kreacher. He's dedicated to the house of Black and will fight as viciously as Bellatrix herself."

Hermione shuddered at the mentioning of the name and rubbed her scarred forearm. "Alright, we'll be prepared then. Thanks for the warning."

They looked at each other for a moment, before Sirius started walking again. It only took them minutes, until they reached the front door. Hermione cast a quick notice-me-not charm on them, before looking at the men: "Now what? Will that door even open for you?"

Sirius shrugged. "Let's find out, shall we?" But before he could even move a muscle, Gideon held him back at his collar.

"Not so fast, there are heavy wards in place. Give us a moment, if you don't want to alert the whole neighbourhood." The hot-headed man looked at them with wide eyes before nodding in resignation.

"Alright, Prewetts. Do your worst, then."

And they started. Hermione didn't even know half of the spells they used and had used a handful of them at best. But it was fairly obvious that Fabian and Gideon knew what they were doing and when they finally finished, the door glowed in blue light, before looking totally unchanged again. The twins nodded towards Sirius with a proud smile.

"I swear if the two of you just did that to show off…" he muttered but didn't finish the sentence. Instead, he gripped the handle of the door and turned it. There was no alarm or anything else that disconcerted them and as the door opened without resistance they shrugged at each other and stepped inside. The view that greeted them was much the same that Hermione had expected. The inside of the house was dark, but when she lighted her wand she could catch a glimpse at the black and golden wallpaper of the hallway, that would still be there 20 years later. Also, the dark blue carpet and the large wooden staircase which as decorated with shrunken house-elf heads was much the same, but with Walburga Black still alive things were impeccably clean and in spotless shape. Hermione couldn't suppress the shudder running down her back.

"Delightful," Gideon muttered behind her as he closed behind them.

"A home full of happy memories," Sirius replied dryly before moving further into the building. But as Hermione tried to follow him she found, that she wasn't able to move her feet.

"Something's wrong," she whispered urgently and looked around in despair. But there was nobody except them in sight.

"What is it?" Gideon asked and hurried back to her. He looked at her with concerned eyes, while his brother started casting detection charms around them.

"I can't move," she said and looked at them in despair. Sirius cursed.

"You're muggle-born aren't you?" he asked and Hermione confirmed this with a nod. "That's bad then. Should have thought of it. Look, my family is one of the most extreme pureblood supremacists that can be found in Wizarding Britain. They will not let you inside the house and I don't have the slightest idea what else they might have for you in store. I think it's better when we leave and make a new plan."

But Hermione shook her head vehemently. "No, we need the necklace, no matter what. I'll just have to stay here and wait, while you are looking for it. Don't worry about me."

The black-haired wizard stared at her in disbelief. "Are you sure?"

She nodded in determination. "Go. Just don't waste too much time. The sooner we get out of this place, the better."

And they went, all of them, and Hermione waited and listened into the empty house. Time seemed to tick by ever so slowly and apart from a scratching sound to her left and the thumping of heavy steps upstairs no sounds could be heard until suddenly…

_"Mudblood."_

There was a whisper, right behind her left ear and she could have sworn that she felt the tickling of somebody's breath in her neck.

_"You will die mudblood," _the voice promised again and this time Hermione could have sworn that it was Bellatrix' voice whispering to her. She shivered and gripped her wand faster. But when she tried to raise her arm to look around with the illuminated wand tip she found, that her arms were now frozen, too. And the feeling of numbness seemed to slowly extend through her body.

"Boys? Could you please hurry?" she shouted upstairs and could not hide the panic in her voice. "I do have a slight problem here."

But there was no answer, except: _"Are you scared little mudblood? You should be scared. Because this is going to hurt…" _

Her heart was hammering faster now like it was willed to keep her alive, no matter what. For a moment nothing happened, but then the pain started. At first, it was just her arm, right there were Bellatrix had left her with the cursed scar. It started with the feeling of ants crawling under her skin and creeping up her arm. Hermione wanted to thrash, to scratch, to do anything, but she realized that now her whole body was frozen in place.

She wanted to call the boys again, plead them to come back, but not a sound left her mouth as she wasn't even able to open it any longer. This was bad, very very bad.

_"You never should have come here… never should have sullied this place with your dirty little feet."_

The crawling under her skin intensified and then suddenly her flesh was aflame and the pain of it was agonizing. And suddenly she knew that the voice was right, she _was_ dying. Whatever curse had befallen her after entering, it was slowly killing her.

"Hermione?" Gideon's voice suddenly sounded from upstairs and a moment later she heard heavy footsteps pounding down the stairs. "Hermione? What's wrong?"

But she couldn't answer couldn't even think a coherent thought any longer. There was only pain now, eating her slowly from the outside and sinking into her bones.

"Hermione!" Gideon's voice sounded again right next to her. "Merlin, this isn't good. Guys, I need to bring her out, now!" He was shouting now and Hermione could clearly hear the panic in his voice. It was mirroring her own.

"Alright, I'm sorry love. I'll need to touch you for this, even though this is likely going to hurt you. But we need to get out." His voice was full of apology but Hermione didn't care. She couldn't be in any more pain then she was now. That's at least what she thought. But as Gideon's strong arms wrapped themselves around her she found out, how wrong she had been: being touched by him felt like pure torture. But Hermione couldn't take the pain any longer. And so she passed out on his arms.

19th of May 1981

When Hermione's world shifted back and the darkness around her faded she felt like her body was floating. It was a funny feeling, weightless and light and most important without pain. It was pure bliss, but it didn't last. The pain was slowly creeping back into her body, seeping through her flesh like coldness that took hold of one's body without mercy, without rest. And Hermione started to feel the fingers of death pulling at her again. She moaned.

"Hermione?" At first, she didn't know the voice calling her, but then she realized that it was the professor… the moody, black-haired one. "Here's something for the pain…"

There was the cool feeling of glass on her lips and Hermione carefully opened her mouth, which was promptly filled with the bitter and salty taste of a potion. She gagged.

"Sorry for that one, but it seems the only one helping you right now…" the voice apologised just as the pain seemed to fade away again. A relieved sigh left her lips. "Better now?"

Hermione waited for a moment before she carefully nodded her head. A moment later she tried opening her eyes, but they refused. She groaned.

"It's alright Hermione," the professor tried to soothe her, which was odd, but she'd think about that later. "You will get better, I promise. But it will take time. This was a very close call."

She wanted to say something, ask him what happened to her, but the darkness started pulling her into its arms again. And after a moment of struggling against it, Hermione finally surrendered.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Unexpected revelations

22nd of May 1981

Three days of drifting in and out of pain, so much pain, until Hermione finally managed to open her eyes for more than a second and stay awake and coherent for more than a couple of minutes. She still felt weak and achy but it was nothing compared to the pain that had followed her through the last days.

"Hello, sunshine," a now well-known voice next to her bed greeted her as soon as she opened the eyes. It was Fabian who sat by her side and stared down at her with an unreadable expression. "How are you feeling princess?"

"Princess?" she asked with a raspy voice and cleared her throat. "When did I earn that title?"

He laughed. "Just trying to work on my bedside manners," the man said with a wink, before gently taking her hand. "…because it seems to be a common thing for you to throw yourself into mortal peril. It's the third time now that I find you unconscious or worse and it hasn't even been a month." He looked at her accusingly. "Do you have a death wish or something? If not you really have to stop _doing_ that. I swear I've aged at least by a year from the moment you stumbled into our lives."

"I'm sorry," she mumbled and looked into his eyes. "I didn't intend to scare you or anything."

Fabian sighed. "I know you didn't." They stared at each other for a long while, their hands entwined with each other. "You barely made it this time. If Severus hadn't come and taken care of you…" His voice cracked and his eyes were full of fear.

"He has saved me so many times already…" Hermione said and remembered her youth in Hogwarts. "I'll have to pay him back, someday."

"No, you won't," Severus' voice suddenly sounded at her other side and when she turned her head to look at him with wide eyes he smiled at her kindly. "You're my friend Hermione and I value my friends above all else. I'll always be there to help you if I can, no matter what."

"How _touching_," sneered a voice from the corner of the room and just a moment later Sirius Blacks aristocratic face came into view. "But I wouldn't get my hopes up too much, Snivelius. She's a _mudblood_ after all and we all know that it's only a matter of time before you drive those away."

The other man immediately stiffened and his face took on Snape's trademark sneer. But before he could get out a nasty reply towards his childhood enemy, Hermione took hold of his hand and pressed it gently. "Severus, don't. You're better than him," she said silently but it worked. Her friend's anger seemed to deflate immediately and he didn't utter a word towards the other man. Hermione smiled.

"And now to you Padfoot. Stop this childish nonsense immediately. Severus is my friend and I will not have you insult him in my presence. Is that clear?" she asked the man next to her in a clipped tone, that strongly reminded her of Professor McGonagall. For a moment Sirius looked at her in stunned silence, before his eyes showed something like pity.

"Hermione, this man is a _Death Eater_, I'm pretty sure he is."

Hermione sighed. "I _know_ he is, Sirius. But I also know that he does no longer believe in their cause, much like your brother. But the Death Eaters are far from a fun club and you can't just quit being a member. To say it's unhealthy would be an understatement I think."

Severus snorted and pressed her hand while his eyes looked at her full of adoration and happiness. But Sirius didn't look convinced at all.

"What if he's fooling you, Hermione? He's a Slytherin and they're a bunch of sneaky bastards."

Hermione squared her jaw to not just snap at him. Instead, she took a deep breath and looked at the man in front of her with a serious expression. "That's the thing with friendship, isn't it Sirius? It makes you blind to see each other's mistakes. I trust Severus and I don't care what house he was in. And now stop harassing him, because I won't hear another word of it."

The handsome wizard next to her seemed to deflate. "Alright, I'll keep my mouth shut."

She nodded with a pleased smile. "Good. Then we can finally move to more important things. Did you find what we were looking for in your parent's home?"

Fabian, who stood next to Sirius, nodded. "Yeah, I spotted the thing in a drawer in a salon upstairs. The thing is scary, filled with dark magic to the brim."

Hermione nodded darkly. "It is. It will be hard for us to destroy, but we'll think of something."

The redhead nodded and Severus gave an affirmative nod, while Sirius just stared at her contemplatively. But before one of them could say another word, a Patronus in the form of a gigantic stag bounced into the bedroom.

"Wormtail's gone," it stated in a to Hermione unknown voice which was most likely James Potter's. "His apartment looks like there has been a fight. Come at once." With that, the Patronus dissolved into mist and Hermione blinked at it confusedly for a moment. This absolutely didn't make sense.

"Death Eaters?" she asked and looked at Severus with wide eyes.

Her friend shook his head. "Not as far as I know."

But Sirius looked at him with small hateful eyes. "I swear Snivelius if you had anything to do with this…" He growled and Hermione could feel her friend tense next to her.

"Stop it, Sirius. You're barking up the wrong tree," she said and sent him a dirty look. "And now go. I believe your friends are waiting for you."

The wizard nodded darkly. "Alright. I'll be off. I'm glad you're better Kitten."

Hermione smiled. "Thank you for helping us. If there's anything I can do for you in the future, just let me know."

He nodded. "Sure." And without another word, he hurried from the room. Hermione looked after him with a frown, before looking back at the two friends that remained in her room.

"This doesn't make sense," she murmured and shook her head in confusion. "Pettigrew wasn't kidnapped by Death Eaters, he should be fine…" Was it something she had changed in this timeline? Was this her fault? Hermione's mind started to spin and she almost could feel the fingers of fate, wrapping themselves tightly around her.

"Calm down Hermione," Fabian said and stroked her hand with his thumb. "It's not your fault."

"How do you know?" she whispered and felt the panic rising in her chest. "What if my meddling with time changed something and…" But she didn't get any further.

"Hermione, _listen_. It's not your fault, because I know for a fact that Pettigrew was not abducted by Death Eaters." Severus interrupted her and looked sternly at the red-haired wizard across from him. Hermione followed his gaze and saw, that Fabian was suddenly looking very uncomfortable and had started squirming in his chair. Her eyes widened.

"It was you," she suddenly realized and was totally stunned.

"Yeah, the three of us, actually," Fabian confessed with a sheepish smile. "Please don't be mad."

"Mad?" she asked and looked back and forth between Fabian and Severus. "Okay, I think it's time for you spill the beans because this sounds like a hell of a story."

Severus chuckled. "Yeah, you could say that."

Hermione listened to their story with growing amazement and a disbelieving grin that was slowly forming on her face. "Let me get this straight," she said after Fabian had finished his tale with an air of insecurity. "The three of you broke into Pettigrew's house, confined him into his Animagus form and are holding him, prisoner, in a pet cage?"

Fabian nodded awkwardly. "Peter is getting human food though, everything else would be a bit gross I think."

Severus snorted. "I confess I gave his place a little makeover to make the story of the Death Eater raid more believable."

Hermione blinked. "I… I think I'm just a little speechless at the moment. You did that for me?"

Fabian smiled. "Does that mean you aren't mad at us?" he asked hopefully and Hermione snorted.

"I kept Rita Skeeter in a jar," she said and looked at him with raised brows. "What do you think? Of course, I'm not mad. I could bloody well kiss you."

Snape looked at her with wide eyes, whereas Fabian's cheeks coloured just a tiny bit. "No thank you," the black-haired wizard finally replied with a grin. "I was enjoying this little excursion far too much to require any additional reward."

Fabian snorted. "That's actually true. He looked like Christmas came early for him this year." He winked at the man across from him. "And admit it, Snape, you always wanted a little rat as a pet."

Hermione snickered and realized, that she already felt worlds better since waking up an hour ago. Hopefully, it wasn't just the bunch of happy news that made her feel that way. "He'll make a great pet," she said sweetly before sinking back into her covers with a pleased sigh.

"Yeah, for testing potions," Snape agreed.

"You wouldn't!" she breathed and looked at him in disbelief.

"No, but he doesn't need to know that." Hermione found, that she enjoyed the smug look on his face. Time for Severus to hand out a little payback to one of his childhood tormentors, she thought. And if it was helping to keep Harry's parents alive, all the better.

22nd of September 1999

Severus showed up for lunch that day and even though Hermione had been thrown out of her plans by several more flashbacks, she had managed to throw some food together for them to eat. It wasn't much but Severus had gotten used to her attempts of cooking and Hermione could have sworn that she had actually improved her skills.

"You've attempted a stew?" Severus' voice came from behind her and when Hermione looked up she saw the wizard right behind her. He looked tired, with dark circles under his eyes, probably because he had drunken along with her.

"It's quite decent I believe," Hermione said with an apologizing grin, but her friend looked at her doubtfully.

"Let me be the judge of that."

They ate in silence for a while, though Hermione could have sworn that her friend looked at her more intensely then he used to. But she wouldn't pester him about it. He'd tell her in his own time if something was on his mind. And so she decided to ask him about her recently discovered memory instead.

"Is it true that you kept Peter Pettigrew as a pet? I just remembered that bit of information this morning."

He snorted. "I did until after a war. First I wanted the Prewetts to take him in but they pointed out, that they could easily be visited by one of the Marauders and didn't fancy explaining how they came to keep their friend hidden away in a cage."

She smiled. "Yeah, that would have been bad, even though he must still have told them something afterwards. At least I assume that's why Lupin has a grudge on me."

Her friend smiled. "Quite possibly. He and I are not on speaking terms, not that I care." He shrugged. "And compared to our childhood and youth one could even say, that our relationship has improved, as they simply keep their distance now."

Hermione smiled crookedly. "This still sounds like I should be prepared for a very awkward afternoon with the Potter's. Harry invited me for tea, you know?"

Her friend laughed. "Oh joy. Should I borrow you my ring that detects poison in food and drinks?"

She looked at him with wide eyes. "Do you think I'll need it?"

Severus snorted. "No, but your expression was priceless."

Hermione laughed. "You're such a tease!"

22nd of September 1999

The evening came faster than Hermione had anticipated but at least Severus' potions and the lunch had restored enough of her usual cheerful self, that she felt able to meet Fabian and Gideon for a little teaching session. Even though she was a bit nervous about seeing both of them again, a part of her was also impatient to fall back into the friendship the three of them had once had. And so she took two calming breaths before apparating to the front porch of their home. She didn't even have to knock, as the door opened right away and Gideon looked at her with a happy smile.

"You came," he said somewhat breathless before stepping inside to let her in.

"Couldn't just let such a good offer slide," Hermione replied with a smile.

Gideon chuckled. "Should have known you just came for the lesson. Very well then, Fabian's already in the study. Come along."

They went upstairs into the study that was right next to the library. It was the room of the house Hermione was most fascinated about. She loved all the little magical trinkets that could be found in here. She could spend hours just watching them and trying to figure out how they were made. Maybe today was the day she could finally ask the twins about some of them.

"Hermione," Fabian greeted her with a smile and came closer. "How are you? W haven't really talked since…" he trailed of embarrassedly.

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry for not seeing you sooner. I just needed time to process some things." Hermione sighed.

"Does that mean you can trust us now?" he asked her and looked into her eyes. Hermione swallowed nervously before she nodded.

"You're my friends, I know that now. Sorry for doubting you. It's just, the two of you were basically strangers for me…"

"And now we're not?" Fabian asked with raised eyebrows and looked at her sceptically. "What changed?"

Hermione smiled at them. "You gave me a pet rat as a get-well-present."

Gideon snorted. "Ah, you got to that part then." With that, he led her to the table and offered her a comfortable looking wing chair at the fireplace, which she took gratefully.

"Yeah, kind of. Don't know too much about it though. But that might still come. At the moment I'm just grateful that you helped me to finally get rid of that problem."

"It was the least we could do to lighten your burden," Gideon said matter-of-factly before taking one of the mysterious instruments from the shelf behind the desk. "And the timing was perfect."

She looked at him with furrowed brows. "Why? Not that I'm complaining but why didn't you wait for me to get better and then went after the rat with me together?"

Fabian who had already taken the seat to her left sighed. "Two reasons actually. The first one was to avoid all suspicions about your involvement from the Marauders. You had already taken your concerns about the traitor to them and it would have been too easy for them to see you as the one, who had done something to him. But as it was with you being injured, you had the perfect alibi."

Hermione laughed. "That was actually very sneaky of you."

Gideon chuckled and finally sat down to her right. "We thought so too. But the more important reason was that we were trying to prevent you to make too many sacrifices. We saw what the knowledge of a potential scale that was tipped by your interferences was doing to you and we knew that we alone couldn't do much about the Horcruxes. But we could do something about Peter and decided to take care of him without involving you, in the hope to prevent that your scale was tipped too far as we speak."

She stared at them with wide eyes, unable to find words. And so she just gaped at them, before suddenly leaping from her chair and pulling Gideon into a bone-crushing embrace. "Thank you," she murmured into his shoulder before repeating the treatment with his twin. It must have been one of the most selfless things anybody had ever done for her and the realisation moved her to tears. She let them fall without shame and looked back and forth between the two of them with a thankful smile.

"We were happy to help," Fabian said finally and patted her back, before moving away from her. "And we aren't even sure if it worked anyway. You still lost so much…" He looked at her sadly.

Hermione looked at the two of them consideringly. "Well, that depends. Did you… did you have to pay a price in the end? Did you lose someone you loved?"

Both of them looked at her with sad eyes. "You could say that yeah. But don't worry about us, Hermione," Fabian said and sunk back into his chair.

"Who was it?" Hermione asked wide-eyed but both of them shook their head.

"That's private," Fabian said with a forced smile. "And I actually wanted to enjoy that evening and not spend the time moping around. Should we get started?" He took out his wand and looked at her questioningly.

Hermione nodded enthusiastically. "Alright," she agreed with a wide smile. But in the back of her head, the question kept echoing. Who was it the two of them had lost?


	20. Chapter 20

A.N.: Here we go, guys. The weekend is finally here and with it another chapter of my story. Enjoy. For those of you who are getting impatient with Hermione: the girl is just back from her journey for _20 days_. Time is moving very slowly in this story. So cut her some slack and let her come to terms with all the new things she learns from the past and the present. She really has a lot on her plate at the moment.

Chapter 20: Making enemies

24th of May 1981

It took two more days until Hermione was finally able to leave her bed again and so she spent most of her time reading or chatting to the twins to not climb the walls with boredom. It wasn't all bad, she always had an unknown book or a cup of tea on her bedside, but her fingers were itching to finally do something useful again. But restoring her back to health took its time and after half a day of moping, she accepted it grudgingly. The time resting was spent as pleasurable as possible, as the twins had delightful bedside manners and kept her entertained with little stories from their time at Hogwarts or little demonstrations of spells the two of them had invented themselves. Hermione told some stories herself but tried to stick to safer topics like brewing Polyjuice in the girl lavatory and adding a cat hair instead of a human one. The twins were highly amused and today Hermione could smile about the story herself.

But when Hermione was finally allowed to leave her bed, there was no holding her back. She wanted to see the Horcrux with her own eyes and Wormtail too before she could think about tackling the next project on her list. And so Fabian and Gideon escorted her to Severus' place on the same evening.

"Look who's back from the dead," her friend greeted her with a wide smile, after opening the door for them.

Hermione chuckled. "That almost sounds like you're happy to see me…" But at that Severus' expression immediately turned serious.

"Of course I'm happy. Don't have many friends around now, do I? Come in." He stepped aside and Hermione moved past him with a pleased smile. The interior of the house looked much the same than during her last visit, even though Hermione could have sworn that the place was cleaner and some of the broken tiles in the kitchen had been mended. But she didn't want to ask Snape about it.

"I hope you didn't invite yourself for dinner," he said with an almost shy smile. "…because there's not much in the house right now."

Fabian waved him off unconcernedly. "Don't worry. Hermione just wanted to see your new flatmate. How are you two getting along?"

Severus snorted. "Splendidly," he said with his voice dripping with irony. "But you can see for yourself." With that, he turned and led them down into the basement. The place downstairs was huge and looked like Snape was currently rearranging things into something like a lab. There were already two large storage cabinets on one of the walls and two massive tables in the middle, that were laden with different potion ingredients in various stages of preparation. It kind of looked like Snape was working on two or three potions at the same time, which was probably true considering the talent he possessed.

"Looks like you're busy," Hermione said with a smile and studied the ingredients curiously. "Dragon pox salve and Skelegrow I believe."

"Modified versions," Severus agreed with a smile. "I see you had a competent teacher," he added with a smirk and Hermione snorted.

"Where's your guest then?" Gideon asked and stepped between the two of them. Snape pointed his head at the back of the room. And really, there was a huge table with a large rodent cage on top of it, that contained everything a rat could wish for. Only that the inhabitant wasn't a rat at all.

Pettigrew was lounging in one of the little hammocks, that the cage contained and judging by the mass of his rat body he hadn't used the bogie wheel once. Not that Hermione was surprised. Scrabbers had always been a lazy rat after all.

"Hello Peter," she said sweetly and crouched down in front of the rat cage. Immediately the little rodent blinked one of his eyes open. "I'm Hermione, Hermione Granger. You don't know me, but I do know you very well. And I know that you're a _traitor_." She almost hissed the last word and Wormtail's reaction was immediate. He opened his eyes widely and looked at her with quivering whiskers. "But I can't have you ruining the lives of my friends by running to the Dark Lord. And so you'll be our guest for see foreseeable future. Do me a favour and be a good little rat. I know from experience that you can be an obedient little pet for years."

She grinned falsely at the quivering animal in the corner and imagined, that not even Umbridge's sweet smile could be more unsettling then hers at the moment. But that was exactly what she intended.

"You can be really intimidating if you want to," Gideon whispered from behind and grinned at her. Hermione snorted.

"You have no idea. When this is all over, you should ask me about the time I played Bellatrix Lestrange. If we manage to snatch a hair from her again, I could make a little show for you." She winked at him.

They retreated back upstairs, where they seated themselves on the shabby sofa in the living room. "Incorporating Bellatrix? Merlin that must be a hell of a story. Maybe Severus could snag one of her hairs for you."

Her black-haired friend shook his head vehemently at that. "Absolutely not. That woman is mad as a hatter. What if she thinks I fancy her or something? No, I won't even come close to her."

Fabian sighed dramatically. "Too bad. Then this little show will have to stay a figment of our imaginations."

Snape snorted humourlessly. "Too bad."

23rd of September 1999

Potter Manor was a large estate at the outskirts of Godric's Hallow. Hermione had never seen it before and she couldn't help but ask herself, if it had still existed in her old timeline, or if it was destroyed during the war, like Harry's old childhood home in the centre of the little town. The house was huge but except the size it luckily didn't have much in common with Malfoy Manor, that was still the setting of quite a few of Hermione's nightmares. Instead, the house had a more sturdy character and reminded her of the pictures she had seen of Pemberley, only on a smaller scale.

Hermione hated it to go to the manor alone, but taking Severus along obviously wouldn't have been such a great idea. And she wasn't a coward, after all, she told herself, and marched the long gravel walk towards the beautiful building. Still, it took her some self-convincing to use the intricate bronze door knocker at the door. She didn't have to wait long until the large wooden door swung open and a small house elf in a pristine red kitchen towel looked up at her with big eyes. Hermione had to swallow the groan that wanted to escape her mouth at the sight. Of course, such an old family as the Potters had house-elves, too.

"Hello Miss, I is Smirky. Did Miss come to see the noble Family of Potter?"

Hermione smiled politely. "Hello, Smirky. My name is Hermione Granger. I was invited by Harry Potter for tea."

The elf looked at her with a pleased smile. "Master Harry is in the back garden, Miss. Smirky can take Miss to Master Harry if Miss wishes." The little creature squeaked and Hermione nodded.

"That would be very kind of you Smirky. Lead the way, please."

The house-elf bowed its head and hobbled into the house and Hermione followed it slowly. The interior was beautiful. Everything was held in light and warm tones, without really favouring one colour over the others. The floor was mostly built of dark wood, but the colourful rugs that were present in all rooms gave everything a friendly and open flair. And Hermione couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief at the obvious differences to Malfoy's family home.

It took them several minutes to reach the garden and when Hermione stepped through the large white wooden door outside onto the veranda, she saw what must have been a happy family picnic. Harry was playing some sort of broom game with a man that could only be his father, as the two looked almost identical. On the ground, there was a large checked blanket with a red-haired woman sprawled on top of it and another brown-haired girl close to them that was chasing something through the grass. It was the picture a happy family and Hermione had to smile when she saw what a life her friend Harry had in this timeline. This was so much better than everything she could have hoped for him.

"Hermione!" drifted Harry's voice towards her through the air and a moment later the man that looked like her childhood friend zoomed towards her on his broom. He stopped it elegantly in front of her in the air and looked at her with a pleased smile. "I'm glad you came over. Now I can finally introduce you to my family."

Hermione nodded awkwardly. "Would be nice to finally meet them. I only know them from pictures I think."

The young man looked at her with furrowed brows. "I never introduced them to you? Didn't you say we were friends?"

Hermione nodded nervously. "You were an orphan in my old timeline, Harry. They died during the first war and you lived with your mum's sister."

"Aunt Petunia?" Harry almost yelled and looked at her with wide eyes. "Merlin, that's horrible."

She nodded. "Yeah, you hated it there. But let's not talk about these unhappy things, when your family is totally fine and right in front of us."

He smiled sheepishly. "I guess you're right. Come on then. I'm sure they'll be happy to meet you."

Hermione stiffened. "You didn't tell them I'm coming?"

He laughed. "No, I wanted it to be a surprise for them. Come along."

She sighed wearily and as her friend turned around and trotted towards his family she followed him with measured steps. Merlin, this meeting could be very awkward if one considered how Lupin had reacted when she met him a few days ago. Would it be the same with James and Lily? Time to find out she guessed.

"Hey mum," Harry said and conjured another blanket on the ground. "I've invited a friend for the afternoon. I hope that's alright."

The woman on the ground put her book aside and looked at her son with green sparkling eyes. "Of course it is, love. You know we love it to meet your friends from school." At that, her eyes travelled towards Hermione and looked at her curiously.

"Hello Dear, I'm Lily Potter," she said and pulled herself up from the ground to offer her another hand. Hermione took it with a shy smile.

"Hermione Granger, mam. It's nice to meet you." But she could feel the other woman stiffen at these words and look at her with eyes full of surprise.

"Hermione Granger, you say?"

Hermione sighed. "Yes mam, _the_ Hermione Granger. Obviously, you've already heard of me."

The red-haired woman laughed and looked from her to Harry with amused eyes. "I guess you could say that yeah. Severus mentions you quite frequently. I didn't know you were alive though." She smiled at her apologetically. "Sorry, this sounded better in my head."

Harry snorted and threw himself lazily onto the blanked and Hermione sat down next to him with folded legs. "It's alright I guess. I'm only back for around 20 days now. Before I was lost in time, or something like that."

Lily Potter stared at her with curious eyes. "Lost in time? You mean like…"

"I am a time traveller, yes," she confirmed with a nod. "Originally I am from around this time, but I travelled back to 1981 and stayed there for quite some time I believe. My memories from my time in the past are still very patchy though and if we have met before, I can't recall doing so. I'm sorry."

But the woman just smiled politely. "We haven't met. James, Harry and I were in hiding during that time."

"I understand. And I am happy everything worked out for your family. It's so great to see Harry having a real family."

This comment earned her an awkward look from Harry's mother, but before the woman could say something in return her husband was suddenly next to her and greeted Lily with a kiss on the head. "Who's that son? I didn't expect that you bring another lady friend so soon. What's with the fierce redhead? Didn't things work out with her?"

Hermione stared at Harry's doppelgänger with wide eyes and pink cheeks. "Ehm, I'm not… we're not…" She stuttered and looked at Harry for help, who looked equally uncomfortable.

"No dad!" he finally protested and shook his head vehemently. "Ginny and I are perfectly fine, _as you very well know_. For Merlin's sake, she had breakfast with us that morning! That's Hermione Granger. You might have heard of her, mum has." Harry ended his little speech with a pout and looked at his father with crossed arms. But the man had already transferred his interest towards Hermione. And she could immediately tell that he wasn't as glad to see her as his wife.

"Ah, Remus mentioned you are around again. I wondered if you'd show up," he said almost coldly and looked her up and down.

"Harry invited me, we met at Ginny's," Hermione said defensively and looked at Harry. Her friend looked at his father in a confused expression.

"What's wrong, dad?" he asked, but at this moment a giggling, about 6-year-old girl threw herself at Harry and tackled him to the ground. Her friend laughed good-naturedly and rolled the squealing girl around. It took a moment until Hermione registered the small animal that sat in front of them on the blanket and stared at her with wide eyes. It was a rat and Hermione would have recognized it everywhere.

"Wormtail," she greeted the traitor with a clenched jaw and fixed him with her eyes. He looked back at her with quivering whiskers, before transforming back into the man she knew as Peter Pettigrew.

"What is _she _doing here?" he asked in a shrill voice and stared down at her sitting form. Hermione looked back at him with calculating eyes.

"I'm visiting Harry," she said dryly and looked at him with a raised brow. "What's your excuse?"

"He's Emma's godfather," James answered her question instead and looked at her with a calculating gaze. Hermione felt the hair on her neck rise. Alone the fact that this little brown-haired girl was playing with the fat chubby man was giving her the creeps. But knowing that he was also made her godfather was almost too much for her. Didn't these people have any survival instincts at all? Emma didn't seem to share her feelings though, as she attached herself to Wormtils leg and looked at her with distrustful eyes.

"What's wrong Uncle Pete? Is this woman bothering you?" she asked and looked at her godfather with wide eyes. Instantly Wormtail's features morphed into those of the loving family friend and he petted her head reassuringly.

"It's alright, Cupcake. I'm sure Miss Granger doesn't mean us any harm. Isn't that right?"

Hermione looked back at him with a fake smile. "No, of course not. I just came to have a little chat with Harry, but maybe we should postpone this meeting to another time. I feel like I am intruding into this happy family meeting of yours."

Pettigrew smiled sweetly, whereas the girl at his feet looked at her with small eyes. "Yeah, uncle Peter doesn't like you and daddy doesn't like you either," she said matter-of-factly and stared at her with hard eyes.

"Emma!" her mother warned her, but the girl just shrugged apologetically.

"It's _true_ mum, I can feel it," the girl said with a pout and looked at Lily with a proud gaze. Hermione sighed.

"It's alright. I'll see you another time Harry, alright?" she asked and looked at her friend for confirmation, but he was looking back at her with confused eyes.

"Yeah," he replied distractedly but Hermione could tell that his heart wasn't really in it and for a moment it felt, like she had lost him now, too. Stupid rat, stupid traitor, she swore in her head as she walked across the ground towards the house. But secretly she knew that she had only herself to blame for the chilly reception. Peter Pettigrew never was a traitor in this timeline. He had never betrayed the trust of the Marauders and acted against one of them. From their perspective, Hermione had betrayed them and she didn't regret her decision one bit. Even though it meant that it had probably cost her another friend. And the realisation hurt.


	21. Chapter 21

A.N.: Hey guys, here's another chapter for you. I hope you like it. My motivation to write has suffered quite a bit in the last days, but I am going over the betaed version of my other story at the moment, so this might be the reason why. But if you want to leave some words of encouragement for me, that surely wouldn't go amiss. ;-)

Chapter 21: The dreams we have

24th of May 1981

Hermione was in a brilliant mood when they left Snape's home at Spinner's end and went back to the twin's house. It seemed like Harry's parents were really safe as Pettigrew was finally out of the way. Even if keeping him prisoner was not the solution Hermione had hoped for, it seemed to be the only way as Lupin and his friends simply refused to listen to her. And it wasn't like Hermione felt too sorry for the traitorous rat.

"Do you want to see the necklace now?" Gideon asked her as soon as they had taken off their travelling cloaks and they were just about to sit down on the sofa.

Hermione nodded enthusiastically. "If it isn't too much of an effort for you? I'd love to see it, just to put my mind at rest."

Fabian smiled and took her hand. "Well, come along then. We'll quickly give you a tour. It's not far."

It really wasn't, as the two of them just lead her into the library of the house. There they went straight to one of the shelves at the right wall of the room and stopped in front of it.

"Have you hidden it behind the books?" Hermione asked in a disbelieving tone, but they just looked at her with twinkling eyes.

"Well, that wouldn't really be a good hiding-place, would it?" Fabian said with a grin and pointed to one of the books. It was a smallish, boring looking copy of "Easy household spells" that looked like it had never been touched before which wasn't surprising in a house that was run by two young bachelors. "Now watch." He took out his wand, carefully tipped the back of the book three times and said: "I am a Horcrux hunter". But nothing happened.

"Ehm, alright?" she said with curious eyes but the redhead just grinned at her knowingly. "And now?"

"Now I go through," he said and waggled his eyebrows before he made a big step and disappeared right through the shelf, much like one passed through the wall at King's Cross for the Hogwarts Express.

"Wow," she said and looked at the remaining redhead admiringly. "Can I go next?"

Gideon smiled. "Sure, but you'll have to repeat the procedure Fabian just showed you."

"Alright." She took out her wand and tapped the back of the book three times with her wand, before repeating: "I am a Horcrux hunter." Then she smiled at her friend and made a big step to pass the shelf. It worked perfectly and before Hermione knew it, she found herself in a small circular room with a circular table in the middle. Fabian was already waiting for her with a proud grin on his face.

"Welcome to one of our hidden little rooms," he said and just as he finished, Gideon stepped through the wall behind her.

"There are more rooms like this in the house?" Hermione asked them with wide eyes and they smiled.

"Of course there are more. We are warders Hermione. One could say creating secret passages and rooms is one of our hobbies," Gideon replied instead of his brother and stepped next to her.

"That's…" but Hermione was lost for words.

"Amazing? Sexy?" Fabian helped her out with a grin.

Hermione snorted. "I was more thinking in the lines of _useful_, but those two might work as well," she agreed, before she could think about it twice and stepped closer.

Gideon laughed. "Just to let you know, this room is very well warded. Only the three of us can enter as we keyed it explicitly to our magical signatures. One could say that for any other person the room doesn't even exist."

"That's brilliant!" Hermione said and beamed at them. But then her eyes travelled to the round table on the middle, where she spied a big metallic jewellery box that was decorated with several carved runes. Her eyes widened.

"Is the Horcrux in there?" she asked and the twins nodded synchronously.

"Yeah, you can try to open it, if you want," Gideon said with a smile and Hermione nodded. She carefully stepped closer to the table and took the box into her hands. But as she tried to open the lid it didn't budge. She frowned.

"I guess using the same words as in the library won't work, right?" she said and looked at the two of them questioningly. They shook their heads with a smile.

"No," Fabian confirmed and stepped closer. "You don't need another sentence to open it. But you'll always need two of us."

"Yeah, we thought that would give us additional safety if one of us falls victim to the Imperius Curse or decides to take the Horcrux without the agreement of the others," Gideon finished for him. At that Fabian put his hands on the box next to Hermione's and the lid sprang open with a satisfying click.

"Brilliant," Hermione breathed and looked at the two of them in awe. And she meant it. Those two were really the best allies she could have wished for her self-appointed task. And she was glad that fate had brought her to their door and let her save their lives, because without Fabian and Gideon Prewett wouldn't have been half as good and more importantly: the world would have been a much more lifeless place.

"Hermione, love," a voice whispered into her ear and a moment later she felt the gentle hand that caressed her body. It felt good, she thought as the sleepiness slowly faded away and made room for the world around her. Slowly Hermione blinked her eyes open and they focussed on the smiling redhead above her – _Ron_. Something in her mind said, that he shouldn't be here, no that _she _shouldn't be here, but a moment later she didn't care.

"Ron? What is it?" she asked and looked at him with blurry eyes, but he just stared back at her with bright blue eyes as a smile tugged at his lips.

"Do I need a reason to wake my beautiful girlfriend up in the middle of the night?" he whispered with twinkling eyes before his lips were on hers. Hermione sighed and melted into his arms. Gods it felt good when he touched her like that. His large hands captured her cheek while he stretched himself out over her on his elbows and his tongue traced her lip ever so slowly until she finally opened her mouth for him. Her mind began to race as his tongue gently caressed hers as his fingers twisted with her curls.

"No, I was just wondering if something happened. After the war, I keep expecting bad news to come. And George…"

But he silenced her with another kiss. "Don't worry about George, Mione. He's _fine_… and I really don't want you to think about my brother just now." With that, Ron's hand trailed lower, across her shoulder towards her breasts. She tensed for a short moment before she willed herself to relax in her boyfriend's arms. It was Ron for Merlin's sake and he definitely didn't mean to scare her.

"Alright," she mumbled before concentrating back on the kiss. Meanwhile, she moved her hands to his back to trace his spine and shoulder blades with her fingers. Just now she realized that his torso was completely unclothed and goosebumps were starting to spread on his skin. "Are you cold?" she asked uncertainly which produced a smile on his lips.

"Absolutely not, it's actually quite the opposite," he confessed before kissing her again. But Hermione couldn't really comprehend what he was saying as her head started to get more and more empty and coherent thoughts would no longer come. Ron's thumb started stroking her breast through her pyjama top while his mouth sucked at her lip before he kissed his way down over her jaw towards her throat. And Hermione felt goosebumps spread on her skin now, too.

"Definitely not cold," she mumbled and gripped his shoulders to pull him closer towards her. She could feel him smile against her skin before his teeth started scraping and nibbling at her throat. Hermione moaned and pressed herself into the pillow.

"Gods Hermione, you're so gorgeous," her boyfriend mumbled and he could feel his fingers fumbling with the buttons of her pyjamas. "I want you so badly," he confessed and stared at her with big vulnerable eyes. Her heart started to thrum in her chest with nervousness. "Please Hermione, could we…" his eyes raked over her body before he fixed her eyes with his again. She knew what he wanted to ask, could feel the need radiating from him.

"You mean…" she trailed of unsurely and cupped his face with her hands. Gods, she wanted him too, had for such a very long time. The last year had been just crazy and there had never been the right moment between school, funerals and helping his family through the grief. But now there was time, now they could be together if they really wanted. She searched out Ron's eyes and could see the uncertainness and love for her reflected in them. Hermione's heart melted for him. "Alright," she said with a nod and pulled him closer into another kiss. "Yeah, let's do this," she said in between kisses as her hands roamed over his back. The smile that spread on his face at her words could only be described as beautiful.

24th of September 1999

Hermione awoke in her bed with a start and realized that she must have had another dream – or vision. Whatever it was that made her see herself back in the other timeline, it got more and more frequent and almost every morning she awoke with an ache in her body, that wouldn't go away for several long minutes or even hours. Sometimes the images she was seeing followed her throughout the whole morning, leaving her moody and sad, as they reminded her of things that could have been, no, that _could be_, if she was just willing to allow it. And some of these things she wanted so badly. The Ron of her dreams, _her_ Ron, was always gentle and understanding with her. Would the two of them really move their relationship forward when she decided to go back to him? It only made sense, she realized. After school, she would probably stay with him at the burrow and even though he would still be helping his family, the nights would be theirs. Her dreams kept showing her more and more clearly what could happen during those long hours when the house around them was asleep. It was like she could still feel his hands on her skin after waking up and sometimes her body was still thrumming with need, that it made her breathless and desperate. Going back to sleep was never an option after that, even though she often wished herself desperately back into her dreams and into his arms. But it wasn't meant to be.

She threw herself around in bed and groaned into her pillow. Why were her dreams torturing her like this? It almost felt like the other timeline wanted to lure her back, wanted her to decide to go back and just let things happen. Was that possible? Could the universe have some sort of strategy to protect itself against changes by meddling humans? Hermione frowned. That would imply that the universe had something like a consciousness, but from what she was experiencing during the nights, it almost felt like someone wanted to convince her to go back. Because the things she saw in her dreams were always good, always things she really wanted. But Hermione _knew_ that she had gone back for a reason because people were _suffering_. Visions like that were suspiciously absent from her dreams though.

It was 5 a.m. when Hermione finally crawled out of bed and dragged herself into the bathroom. She knew from experience that sleep would not come and she needed to take her mind off the dream if she didn't want to be haunted by it for hours. And the best way to do this was a hot shower, tea and a good book. But not today. The images would simply not stop replaying, her mind was turning and turning, looking for a way to have _both_, but she always came back to the realization that it was either her own happiness or the others. It was so unfair.

Hermione barely made it onto the sofa before the tears started coming. She wrapped herself in a thick blanket as heavy sobs began to wrack her body. She didn't even notice the heavy steps that came towards her through the living room and she just realized Severus was there when his strong arms suddenly wrapped themselves around her and pulled her close. He didn't say a word and just kept holding and rocking her as all the sadness and frustration bubbled out of her at once. The tears ran dry after a while. Even though her heart was still full of sorrow, her body too wrung out to cry any longer.

"Better now?" Severus mumbled gently, stroking her hair.

She nodded with a sigh. "Yes, thanks for holding me and helping me through. Sometimes it all just gets to be too much, and…" but she didn't know how to finish the sentence so she stared into her lap awkwardly.

"What's wrong Hermione?" he finally asked, before he gently took hold of her chin and pulled it up. "You've been moping around the flat for _days_ and I keep wondering what's wrong with you." He sighed before searching out her eyes. "You can tell me, you know? Whatever it is, Hermione, I'm here for you."

She sniffed and wiped her tear-stained face with her sleeves. Severus looked at her with dark, honest eyes that were so full of kindness that it made her realize once more, how different this version of him was. And it made her heart ache even more. "A few days ago I visited Professor Dumbledore," she started in between hiccups, as she tried to get herself back under control. "I asked him about the time traveller's curse."

He nodded encouragingly even though his face remained solemn. "I thought so," he said and offered her a tissue to clean her nose. Hermione accepted it with a shy smile. She knew she probably shouldn't tell him as it would bring him into an impossible situation. But right then she felt selfish and that meant unloading her burden on somebody that could understand the whole scale of the decision she had to make and the impossibility of it. And so Hermione told him. She told him about what she had learned from Dumbledore, about her meeting with Ron and the other Weasleys, her visit with the Potters and about the dreams. Once she had started to talk, the words just kept tumbling out of her mouth and the longer she talked, the better she felt. Snape never once interrupted her and just kept handing her tissues and rubbing her back. It was almost surreal but she was thankful nonetheless.

"Well? Say something Severus," she said and looked at her friend pleadingly. "Please."

He stared at her for a moment longer, before he blinked and squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. Then he took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment before he said: "I am in a quite difficult situation here Hermione. As you can imagine, I have a lot to lose through the decision you have to make. I am therefore far from neutral. But I am also your friend and will try to act accordingly. Never doubt that."

Hermione nodded understandingly and leaned herself against his side. "I know. That's why I was struggling to tell you. And really, the decision I have to make should be an easy one as most of the people are much better off here. But still…"

He nodded. "Yes, you feel like you're not. But that's the thing, Hermione, I don't see it quite that way. Even though you probably lost Harry and your boyfriend, you also have friends here. At least I hope you see me and the Prewetts that way."

Hermione nodded awkwardly. "Of course I do, Severus."

He smiled. "Good, because that's what we are." He patted her shoulder. "I know losing the person you love is hard, but believe me you can find another love for yourself if you just give it a chance. Your Ron might have been the perfect guy for you, but he might also not have been."

She shrugged helplessly but didn't really feel like saying something. So Severus continued.

"Believe me, Hermione, I know how you feel. Remember? I've been there. You have seen my other self, pining after Lily for what, decades? It was really hard to let her go and be open for something new, as I always thought she was the love of my life. She probably could have been, but it wasn't meant to be. I found Charity and we are _happy_ Hermione. And you can be happy, too."

The traitorous tears had started falling again and Hermine wiped them furiously with her sleeve. "You really think so?"

Severus smiled encouragingly. "Absolutely. You just need to allow yourself to let go. I know it hurts, but it gets better. And then you can find somebody that makes your heart flutter."

Hermione nodded with a smile. "Alright, I'll try to let him go. But it's not easy when these dreams keep forcing themselves on me."

"Are you or are you not friends with a potions master, Hermione?" he asked her with a raised eyebrow. "If you really no longer want to have them, then I'll brew you a modified, not-addictive version of the dreamless sleep potion. You could take it until it's time for you to make the decision. Afterwards, those dreams should no longer be an issue."

She looked at him with wide eyes. "You'd really do that for me?" But that just made him snort.

"Are you serious? I am a _Slytherin_ Hermione, self-preservation is our second nature. It is in my best interest to make you as happy in this timeline as you can be. If this is through brewing you a potion or playing matchmaker myself doesn't matter.

She stuttered. "You wouldn't."

But Severus just looked at her with gleaming eyes. "Draco is still single as far as I know. Or maybe the Weasley twins? You could easily be part of the Weasley clan again if this is what you want to be."

"Merlin, you're serious, aren't you?" she said and looked at him with wide eyes.

"Absolutely. Whatever it is you need Hermione, don't hesitate to ask for it. And I say that as your friend, not as an interested party."

She nodded awkwardly. "Alright. But I think a shoulder to cry on and the dreamless sleep will be enough for now."

"As you wish," he said with a nod and looked at her with dark, scrutinizing eyes. And Hermione couldn't help but think that he was already making plans for her anyway.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22: White lies

30th of May 1981

The days started running by faster, as Hermione no longer had to worry about Harry's parents and her deadline for Halloween was no longer an issue. Finally, she allowed herself to relax a bit and get some good nights of rest, to have more energy to plan the next steps ahead. Some things they would have to do definitely wouldn't be easy, especially without Dumbledore's help. Should they get the easiest Horcruxes first, or better leave them in their hiding places in case Voldemort got suspicious? As long as they didn't have the means to destroy them, it was probably more dangerous to store them all in one place, instead of leaving them where the Dark Lord could reach them. But Hermione was undecided and so were the twins. They kept planning and planning without really making a plan. But they had time, Hermione told herself and it helped her to stay calm and move on.

Their established routine was interrupted one day when Sirius Black stumbled through the door into their living room. He looked more tired and gaunt then Hermione remembered from the last time they had met and she was almost sure that he wasn't completely sober either. But she didn't comment on it and kept herself in the background as the twins motioned him towards the sofa and served some butterbeer.

"What's up Sirius? Did you find Peter?" Fabian asked nonchalantly and threw himself into the wing chair to his right, where he started drinking a butterbeer on his own. Hermione was unsure what to do at first but finally decided to sit down in the other wing chair and follow the conversation passively.

"No, there's literally no trace of him. It's like he simply disappeared." He took a swig from his bottle and groaned tiredly. "Usually the Death Eaters just kill and torture, so why should they suddenly abduct somebody, especially Peter?"

Hermione frowned. "You know I had my suspicions concerning him. What if he… I don't know… staged the whole thing and joined them secretly?" The lie hurt, but she told herself that it was necessary to keep the suspicions away from them.

Sirius rubbed his forehead with a sigh. "I don't like the idea but it could be possible, I have to admit. Everything else makes even less sense…"

Hermione nodded mutely and even though she had conducted herself to stay as passive as possible, she looked at their guest with curious eyes. And promptly their eyes met.

"But enough of this, how are you, Hermione? The last time I saw you, you were still quite under the weather…" he said and smiled at her with a twinkle in his dark eyes. She couldn't help but blush.

"I'm better, thanks," Hermione mumbled and smiled politely. Sirius answered her smile with a grin that made her want to avoid his gaze, but she forced herself not to because she didn't want to appear to him like she was hiding something.

"Great! What do you say to dinner with me tomorrow evening then?" the black-haired wizard suggested immediately and looked at her with a self-assured smile, that made the heat in her face rise even further. She definitely wasn't prepared for this shameless flirting version of Sirius Black, even though she should have been, judging from what she had heard about Harry's godfather in the past. There were stories about a variety of woman and men the like and Hermione could have sworn that some of the things she had heard were almost too wild to be true. But back in her fifth year, those had been just abstract stories about a malnourished man that was twice her age and Hermione hadn't really considered them relevant. This handsome and predatory young Sirius Black, on the other hand, was a danger she wasn't willing to submit herself to. Who knew what a few glasses of wine and loneliness could make her do and there was no chance she would cheat on Ron. Not as long as there was the slightest chance that she would be able to get back to him somehow.

"I'd love to have dinner, Sirius," she finally said and licked her lips nervously "but I don't want to raise any false hopes within you. I am already taken and so it is only friendship I can offer you."

He looked at her with a tilted head and curious eyes. "Taken, huh? By whom exactly?"

Hermione groaned inwardly. She couldn't very well tell him that she was a time traveller and her boyfriend was waiting in the future for her, could she? But what else was she supposed to say?

"She's ours," Gideon's confident voice suddenly sounded next to her and a moment later she could feel his arm snaking around her waist. "Isn't that right, love?"

For a moment Hermione felt, like a deer in the headlights. But finally, her brain caught on and she plastered a fake smile onto her face. "Absolutely, I'm theirs."

But Sirius just looked at her with raised eyebrows. "Really? Well, that's surprising. You're not really acting like you are…"

Hermione huffed annoyedly while Gideon snorted next to her. "We're just being discreet," she defended herself but before she could say anything more, Gideon had turned her towards him and pulled her into a lingering kiss. For a moment Hermione stiffened in his arms, but then the world around her just stopped and there were only his lips and the thrumming of her heart that was so loud, that she was sure Gideon must have heard it. If he did, he didn't acknowledge it though and kept kissing her in a way, that didn't allow any questions whom she belonged to, at least not for Sirius.

"Alright, alright, point taken," Sirius relented with a dramatic sigh and immediately Gideon stopped his attentions and pulled away with glowing eyes. For a moment Hermione wasn't quite sure if her feet would even support her weight right now, but instead of letting go of her, Gideon just put an arm around her waist and pulled her close to his side. And considering her shaking legs Hermione was really thankful for the gesture.

"You can't blame us for snatching her away first," Fabian said from his place next to Sirius and smiled at her with twinkling eyes. The other wizard snorted.

"Absolutely. I should have known from our very first meeting that Hermione really _is_ a naughty little witch." He winked at her and after a moment he emptied his bottle of butterbeer with a last big swig. Then he finally got up from the sofa. "Well Hermione, if those two ever let your little naughty heart wish for something else, you know where to find me."

He stalked past her with a suggestive look and Hermine couldn't help but step even closer to her friend next to her. "I'm pretty sure that won't happen," she said with security that she didn't feel at all and smiled. But luckily this seemed to be enough for her unwanted suitor as he excused himself a moment later and said his goodbyes. Fabian accompanied him towards the front door, while Hermione stared at the closing door with wide eyes and a nervously thumping heart.

"That was…" Hermione started, but Gideon said something just at the same time and so they broke off and stared at each other awkwardly.

"You first," she finally said and started chewing on her bottom lip.

Gideon nodded. "Sorry for taking you by surprise like that. It wasn't fair, but at the moment I just wanted to give you an easy way out."

She nodded understandingly. "It's alright. Thank you for stepping in. I'm not really used to driving away unwanted suitors and it was fairly obvious that I needed some help." Hermione looked at him with a shy smile. Gideon pulled her against him with a grin, before he finally let go of her and stepped away.

"I'm glad you see it that way because I don't want things to get awkward between us." He searched for her eyes with a sheepish grin.

She sighed. "Don't worry Gideon, because I won't let that happen. You're my friend and it's not like the kiss meant something, right?"

There was a short flicker of something in his eyes, but it was gone just a moment later. "Right," Gideon said and grinned. "Now what? Dinner? There's a lovely Thai around the corner that makes brilliant noodles for Take-away. Fancy some?"

"Absolutely," she confirmed with a smile, even though she didn't feel like eating at all, because her stomach was still in flutters. But those would go away, right?

25th of September 1999

The memory came back to her right at dinner and when Hermione regained her senses again she found herself down at the floor with Severus next to her. She must have fallen off her chair again, which unfortunately happened quite often, but luckily her friend was really quick and experienced with cushioning charms by now.

"Good or bad memory?" he asked her and tried to study her expression and immediately Hermione could feel the colour rising into her cheeks.

"Not sure," she admitted silently and pulled herself up with a groan. "I think it's more in the lines of awkward memory, to be honest." She climbed onto her chair again and her friend sat down across from her at the table, before sliding a headache potion towards her without comment. She gulped it down with a thankful smile. "You once said the twins might be hiding a torrid affair between the three of us from the past," she finally started and glanced at her friend awkwardly. "Is it possible that you heard something like that in the past?"

Severus looked at her with gleaming eyes. "I might have," he said and shrugged with a grin. "Is it true then?"

Hermione closed her eyes in embarrassment. "I don't think so, no. But there was a situation that made it necessary to… fake that sort of thing, a situation that might have called for a kiss."

There was no reply from him at first and when Hermione opened her eyes again to see his reaction, she found him focussing her with an analysing gaze. "Was it a good kiss?" he finally asked with a knowing smile tugging on his lips. "Because you look like it might have been."

She groaned in embarrassment. "Does it matter? It was _fake_ Severus and it was _years_ ago."

Her friend shrugged with a grin. "Just asking." Then he took his spoon back into his hand and started eating again. They sat in silence for a while and slowly Hermione's nerves seemed to settle, even though she could still feel her friend's gaze on her now and then. But she did her best to ignore it.

"Charity will come home tonight," Severus said almost casually after a while and kept on eating.

Hermione hummed in acknowledgement. "You haven't seen her for a while, haven't you?"

He swallowed the bite in his mouth and nodded. "Yeah, the school's keeping her busy. That's the price of falling for a teacher I guess." His lips morphed into a loving smile that almost made Hermione's heart melt.

"You miss her, don't you?"

"Every day," Severus confirmed, before looking at her with a firm gaze. "Would you mind leaving the house for the evening? Things might get… intense and I really don't want any awkwardness between us," he tried and Hermione looked at him with wide eyes and rosy cheeks. Merlin, that was more than she ever wanted to know.

"Uhm, alright," she said quickly and took a spoon full of soup into her mouth to avoid having to say anything further.

"Thank you. I'm sure the twins don't mind another visit from you," Severus suggested with a neutral expression that immediately spiked Hermione's suspicions.

"Severus Snape, you are not playing matchmaker here, are you?" she asked and looked at him with a stern gaze. But her friend didn't seem bothered by it in the least.

"Actually I am just looking for a way to shag my wife in peace on the kitchen table," he said dryly and Hermione almost choked on her food. She hastily swallowed it down before she replied with bright red cheeks:

"Alright, point taken. Tell me when it's safe to come back again."

Hermione sent her Patronus over to the Prewett house right after dinner and not half an hour later she was standing at their front door with an overnight bag in her hands. How in Merlin's name had she ended up _here_ right after having this particular memory back? Any other day would have been fine, but right now? Right now she really didn't want to meet Gideon. She knew she was being childish, the man was her _friend_ for god's sake and in the past, they had surely been able to overcome any awkwardness between them pretty quickly. But back then she had been Ron's girl and this kiss meant nothing to her. Now? She wasn't so sure. Because kissing Gideon had felt _good, _she admitted to herself, and a little voice in her heart whispered that she wanted to do it again.

The door opened before she found the courage to use the doorbell. The wards must have notified the twins upon her arrival, because Fabian who came to let her in, looked at her with bright eyes and a smile on his lips.

"Came back for another lesson, did you?" he said and winked at her.

"Would you grant me one if I say yes?" she said and laughed. "Because actually Severus kind of threw me out for the night. Charity is visiting from Hogwarts and they…"

Fabian interrupted her with a laugh. "They're probably shagging like rabbits, yeah. Come in then and we'll see about the lesson. We could also just go to the cinema if you want a lazy evening instead. And you look like you haven't been out and had fun for _ages_."

Hermione blinked in surprise. "Well, I haven't."

"Then it's set. We're going out. Come on, let's take your stuff into your room first and then I'll give you the chance to get cleaned up. In the meantime, I'll drag Gideon away from his enchantments. He's been over them for the whole day, muttering to himself in the study. He really needs a break too even though he'll never admit it."

With that, he stepped aside and waved her into the house. Hermione followed him with a much lighter heart. A movie night was a great idea. She hadn't had one in years, because Ron never saw the appeal of it. Maybe there was still a way for her to enjoy the evening after all. Because the darkness of the cinema didn't leave much room for awkwardness, right?

Stepping into her old room in the Prewett's house felt like coming home in a way. She had missed her bed with the enchanted curtains that made her feel like she was sleeping under the stars, but there was also the beautiful library with the reading areas at the window sills and the knowledge that there were probably hidden rooms _everywhere_ in the house that just waited for being explored by her, that made her want to never leave again. And she'd probably never have to if she could just bring herself to _ask_ the twins to let her move back in.

It only took her about ten minutes to get changed into jeans and a comfortable, light jumper that was waiting for her in the closet. When she pulled the soft fabric on, she felt immediately comfortable in it and smiled.

"Found your old favourite jumper have you?" a voice sounded from the door and she didn't have to turn around to know that it was Gideon's. By now she would have recognised it anywhere.

"Ahh, that's why it feels so comfortable to me," she replied and finally turned around. He was leaning in the doorframe and looked at her with twinkling eyes and a wide smile. Seeing him like this had made her heart stutter a little.

"Absolutely. I heard we're going to the cinema?" he said and stepped into the room. The stuttering of her heart got worse. She stared at him with wide eyes and her mind went totally blank for a second leaving her completely unable to answer.

Gideon looked at her with furrowed brows and inclined his head. "Hermione? Is everything alright? You look kind of…"

She shook her head and closed her head in embarrassment. "I remembered the kiss," she blurted out before she had the chance to lose her courage again and as she opened her eyes she could see, that Gideon was looking at her with a curious expression.

"And that is a good or a bad thing?" he finally asked and looked at her with raised brows.

She blinked. "Not a bad thing," she finally mumbled and shrugged helplessly, but Gideon just smiled at her kindly.

"Good, because I really don't like any awkwardness between us." With that, he made the last steps towards her and before Hermione knew what was happening, he pulled her into his arms. She stiffened just for a short moment before she realized that he was pulling her into a hug then she hugged him back with a relieved sigh.

"Me neither," she finally admitted und buried her nose into his shoulder. And she couldn't help but notice that his scent was still the same as it was 18 years ago.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Hidden secrets

25th of September 1999

Hermione hadn't been to a cinema for ages and it made her enjoy the evening with the twins even more. Going out with them was easy, there was lots of popcorn and laughing involved. It was kind of weird, as the two men were now much older as she was, but it was like nothing had changed between the three of them even though eighteen years had passed. She hadn't had this much fun in a long time and when the three of them headed home together, Hermione wished the evening never had to end.

"Thank you both, I had such a lovely evening," she said as soon as the front door closed behind them. "I haven't had that much fun in a very long time and it wasn't because of the movie." She smiled.

"Glad to hear that," Fabian said with a grin and took her jacket from her. Hermione inclined her head in gratitude. "We didn't have many chances to go out in the last years as we were so engaged in our work. But after today I think, we should definitely do that more often."

Gideon nodded with a happy smile. "What about doing something together once a week, maybe on Fridays? The next day should be a free day for all of us."

Hermione blinked in surprise. "Well, why not? It doesn't always have to be the cinema and as long as no brooms are involved it should be fun."

Fabian grinned. "Not much of a flyer then? That's alright. We weren't that keen on Quidditch either. What about other Muggle sports? There're some really funny ones."

She gaped at them. "Are you serious? That would be _brilliant_! My parents always took me bowling, but there're so many others I always wanted to try."

"Then we'll do just that, we'll try them all," Gideon said and winked. "But we'll start with this bowling thing. Sounds like fun."

"It is," she said with a wide grin before a yawn erupted from her mouth. "Sorry, I'm a bit tired. I'm not sleeping so well at the moment."

"Nightmares? Memories?" Fabian asked and looked at her with concern but Hermione shook her head. "No, none of those. It's… complicated."

The twins nodded and looked at her expectantly, but when she didn't say anything else they shrugged and Gideon asked: "Do you want us to stay with you?"

Hermione looked at him with wide eyes. Just the thought of having two men twice her age with her in bed was strange, but when she imagined waking up next to them after having an erotic dream about Ron was… unsettling and absolutely embarrassing. She blushed. "No, thank you. I hope I'll be fine. If things get too bad, I'll just get up and make myself some tea. That's what I usually do these days."

They nodded together, even though they didn't look convinced. "Alright. But you can always knock on our rooms when you need us. No matter what time it is," Gideon assured her with concerned eyes.

She sighed. "Alright, thanks. But I'm sure it will be fine. Don't worry."

With that, she waved them goodnight and trotted upstairs. Hopefully, this night would be a more peaceful one. It would still take two more days for Severus to finish her potion. Until then she'd have to endure whatever the other timeline threw at her.

26th of September 1999

The night was a long one for Hermione as her dreams started harassing her almost as soon as she fell asleep. This time she dreamed about finding her parents in Australia. Ron and Kingsley had agreed to help her look for them and they found her parents in a new dental office in the middle of Sydney. But the dream ended as soon as she had caught sight of them so she could not be sure how they would have reacted after having their memories restored. Would they have despised her for what she did to them? Or would they have welcomed her back into the family? Hermione didn't know, but she brooded over the question as soon as she woke up in the middle of the night. Going back to sleep not an option. Not having her family was almost the worst part of being stranded in this new timeline because whatever had happened in the past, Hermione Granger no longer existed here. Therefore there was no hope for family holidays or introducing future grandchildren to her parents and knowing that almost broke her heart. Maybe Severus was right and she could find a new love for herself, but her family would be still lost to her, no matter how much she wanted it to be otherwise.

When morning came Hermione finally dared to leave her bedroom. She hadn't done so before, because she didn't want to wake up the twins and have to explain what kept her up at night. Because that was a discussion she rather wanted to avoid. The kitchen downstairs was still untouched and Hermione concluded that her friends were still asleep. She didn't mind though as she was usually by herself at Spinner's End too and so she decided to make some breakfast. She had just finished grilling the last bit of toast when Fabian stepped into the kitchen with a big yawn.

"You weren't kidding about not being able to sleep, were you?" he said and sat down at the table, where she had already prepared everything for them. "You were always an early riser but frankly spoken, you look like hell."

"Thank you very much," she said dryly and prepared herself some coffee. She really had gotten dependant on that bitter stuff, but with enough of sugar, it was almost tasty. "It's always great to have someone to complement one's looks."

Fabian looked at her with a grin. "Are you fishing for compliments, Hermione? Because in that case, I can surely find something charming to say about the beauty of the bags under your eyes and your tousled hair."

"Stop teasing her," Gideon told his brother as he walked through the kitchen door with his curly hair in a mob that was almost similar to Hermione's. "or she'll hex you again."

"I hexed him?" Hermione asked with wide eyes and looked back and forth between the two of them.

"Oh yeah, on quite a similar occasion. It was incredibly funny…" Gideon said and sat down next to her with a happy grin.

"No it wasn't," Fabian said with a pout, that couldn't hide the grin that was forming on his face. "Well, maybe it was a little bit."

Hermione laughed. "Well. Hopefully, I'll regain that particular memory soon, because I'm kind of looking forward to it."

Fabian snorted. "I'm sure you are."

2nd of June 1981

The flutters in Hermione' stomach didn't go away, not during dinner and not during the next days. It was behind of annoying. It wasn't like she was available for a relationship anyway so why couldn't she simply forget that stupid kiss that had only been a diversion meant to drive Sirius away? Was she really that starved for love and attention? Or was it something else? Chemistry maybe? Or stupid teenage hormones - those were always popping up in the most inconvenient times. Whatever it was, it wasn't going away but it wasn't like Hermine could avoid the twins or Gideon in particular. It wasn't fair to them and she was really too old for such childish behaviour anyway. And so she plastered a smile on her face every time she saw them and acted as though nothing had happened. Because the world around them wasn't standing still and people around them were dying. And that had to stop, soon.

Hermione soldiered on and buried herself in research. But it was quite obvious what they had to do next. They needed a way to destroy the Horcrux and even though Dumbledore had let them down once, she prayed he would be willing to help her this time. Because if not, then they would have to find a way to cast Fiendfyre themselves or take on the basilisk, and the latter wasn't really an option was it?

Hermione decided to apparate to Hogwarts this time. Taking the floo to the Headmaster's office had its merits but she hoped to tic another point of her to-do list at the same time and this meant an undetected trip to the Room of Requirements.

The Headmaster already waited for them in his office as Hermione had sent an owl ahead.

"Ah, Miss Granger and the Messrs Prewett, excellent," he greeted them with a smile but the twinkle from his eyes was noticeably missing. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"

Hermione straightened herself in front of his desk and looked at the old man with squared shoulders. "We come to ask your help again, Headmaster."

He looked at her with a strikingly neutral expression. "I hope it's not for finding poor Peter. I heard he's gone missing recently," he said and cast them an analysing gaze. But Hermione didn't move a muscle in her face to not betray her feelings on that matter.

"No Headmaster," she said as detached as possible and stared at the Headmaster with a serious gaze. "We are here to ask your help to destroy the Horcruxes. We got hold of the first one, but as none of us is able to cast Fiendfyre and we don't fancy burning our house down…" She didn't finish the sentence but didn't have to, as she was pretty sure Dumbledore had caught the meaning. He sighed.

"I am not sure if I am able to help here, Miss Granger."

She blinked. "Why not? The last time you refused to help this was because Lily and James were not important to you. But surely the Horcruxes and the destruction of the Dark Lord must mean something…" Hermione felt her temper rise but suddenly there was a calming hand on her shoulder that helped her reign her temper in again. The Headmaster must have seen that too as he was studying the three of them with an interested expression on his face.

"I didn't mean that I don't want to help, so please let me rephrase. I can not help you destroy the Horcruxes, _yet_. And I would recommend you don't do it either until you have all of them together. If what you say is true and Tom has really made five of them, then he might not feel their destruction. But we cannot be sure of that as we don't know how far detached his soul already is."

Hermione nodded in understanding but before she could say a word, Fabian already replied: "I see. So if we had a safe place to store them, we should collect them first. But when we have them all, you'll help us destroy them? Is that right Headmaster?"

The old man sighed again. "There is no valid reason for me to refuse helping you with this, Mr Prewett. So yes, you have my word. If you manage to collect all of them, I am willing to destroy them for you."

Hermione sighed in relief. "Thank you, Professor. That is great news indeed. I have one more question. As far as I know, Tom Riddle is a descendant of the Gaunt family. Do you know by any chance where their old family home is to be found? We intend on visiting this place soon but need a discreet way in locating it first."

Dumbledore studied them with an unreadable expression. "I'll see what I can do for you. Is there anything else?"

Hermione plastered a smile on her face. "No Headmaster. That will be all for today. Thank you for agreeing to help us."

"Thank you," the twins echoed behind her and the man in front of him smiled grandfatherly at them.

"Very well, I wish you a safe trip back home them. These are dangerous times. Should I accompany you out?"

Hermione shook her head with a smile. "I'm sure the three of us will be fine, sir. But thank you for offering anyway. Good night."

She nodded towards him and with a last smile, she turned around and walked out of the office. Once outside Fabian held her back by gently taking her arm. "Why didn't you want him to accompany us? Do you think he would try something?"

"Yeah, something felt odd, didn't it?" Gideon added with a frown. "This went all too smoothly."

Hermione thought about that. "You're probably right, but that's not the reason I didn't want him to come with us. There's another errand I want to run in the castle. Fancy accompanying me to the seventh floor?"

They looked at her with a puzzled expression. "Sure. What exactly are we looking for?"

Hermione smiled mysteriously. "Have you ever heard of the Room of Requirements?"

"Merlin, this place is _huge_!" Fabian said and looked around the room with wide eyes. "What is all that stuff?"

Hermione smiled, as she could very well remember her amazement when she had seen the Room of Requirements for the first time. "It's the stuff generations of Hogwarts student have hidden away: Books, prank articles, clothing. You can find almost anything here. Even a Horcrux."

They stared at her with a disbelieving look. "No," they said in unison and looked around frantically. "There one _here_?" Gideon said and stared at her unblinkingly.

She nodded in confirmation. "Yeah. We are looking for the lost Diadem of Ravenclaw. Somewhere in here must be a huge cabinet and on top of it there's a bust of an ugly old warlock. I believe that the diadem must be hidden somewhere close to it, as Harry had found it without knowing what it was and placed it on the bust."

Fabian nodded next to her. "Alright, let's take a look around then, shall we?"

"Best if we split up," Hermione proposed but both of the twins shook her head vehemently at that.

"Absolutely not. I've sat next to your sickbed one time to often in the last months. One of us is staying with you," Fabian answered her back immediately and looked at her with an unflinching gaze. "There's no point in discussing this Hermione."

She groaned. "Alright. Come with me then," she said in the hope to avoid being alone with his twin. But Fabian shook his head with a smile.

"No, you two can go together. I'll look at things from up in the air." He stepped aside with a grin and a moment later he transformed into a huge, blue-eyed Barn Owl.

Hermione looked at him with a stunned expression. "You're an Animagus?" she asked in awe and the owl blinked and hooted softly in reply.

Gideon laughed. "You're such a show-off," he said good-naturedly to his brother. Fabian clicked his beak before he spread his wings and took off into the air.

"Well, I guess it's just you and me then," Hermione said and walked in the direction where she hoped to locate the Vanishing Cabinet. But the place was like a maze so that she couldn't really be sure.

"Don't worry Hermione, we'll find this thing in no time," Gideon assured her and took her hand, which encouraged her heart to make a little excited dance in her chest. She groaned inwardly. These teenage hormones were getting really annoying.

"With an owl Animagus on our side I have no doubts about it," she said with a crooked smile into his direction. "The two of you never cease to amaze me. I can't wait what else you have in store for me."

Gideon snorted with an amused grin. "You'll find out in time, I guess."

Thanks to his Animagus form it hadn't taken Fabian long to locate the diadem within the Room of Requirements. Hermione and Gideon had strolled around the room for about ten minutes when the Barn Owl landed on Gideon's outstretched arm and started cleaning his feathers with something like a self-satisfied glow in its eyes.

"You found it, didn't you?" the wizard asked and Fabian chirped excitedly, before leaping back into the air. "Little show-off," Gideon muttered before following his feathered twin with firm steps, while still holding Hermione's hand. They rounded two corners and passed several stacks of hats and old books, as the well-known Vanishing Cabinet suddenly appeared in front of them. And on it sat a smug-looking Barn Owl with a familiar-looking tiara at its feet. Hermione smiled happily. Now it was 2:0 for the Horcrux hunters.

26th of September 1999

Hermione snapped out of her stupor when the memory she had just regained faded into the background of her head again. She blinked confusedly for a moment until her eyes managed to focus on her surroundings again. She was still in the Prewett kitchen, where she must have had a flashback right over breakfast, as her body was sagged against Gideon's, who was sitting next to her.

"You alright again Hermione?" the man next to her asked, while he steadied her with his arms. Hermione groaned and pulled herself upright again before her eyes focussed at Fabian, who was sitting across from her with a concerned expression.

"You're an owl," she said dryly and looked at him with a stern expression. He nodded with a boyish grin. "You don't happen to be the owl, that so kindly delivered my birthday present, are you?" she continued her inquiry and heard the man next to her begin to snicker.

"She got you there, mate," Gideon snorted and pointed his spoon towards his twin. Fabian nodded in defeat.

"It was me, yeah," he admitted and looked at her questionably. "You're not mad, are you?"

Hermione snorted. "No, I just remembered that I fed you owl treats," she said and when she saw his disgusted face she burst into a fit of giggles and Gideon joined in immediately.

"You should have seen his face after he returned home and told me that particular detail," he wheezed in between fits of laughter, which only made Hermione laugh even harder.

"Do you mind donating that particular memory for my first trip into the pensive?" she asked and looked at Gideon with glee.

"In exchange for yours," he said and winked at his twin, who was looking at them with a pout.

"You can be a really evil woman," he said but the grin also started spreading on his face.

Hermione giggled. "You find that evil? Wait until you get your first box of owl treats for Christmas." She winked at him playfully and the expression on his face was just priceless.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Exposed

26th of September 1999

Leaving the twins behind after breakfast felt strange in a way that Hermione didn't have an explanation for. The evening together had been great of course, but that was no explanation for feeling this echo of sadness in her chest, was it? She'd see them again on Friday for Merlin's sake but that didn't seem to console her confused heart in the least. Why was she suddenly feeling like this? Just because of one faked kiss? It wasn't like it had meant anything in the first place and even if it had, it was 18 years ago for Gideon. The man was almost the age of her father now and there was no chance, that he'd start something with a twenty-year-old girl, right?

She shook her head in exasperation as she strolled down the old cobblestone street towards Spinner's End. She really had to get a grip on herself or this whole situation could get embarrassing rather quickly. Talking about embarrassing... Hermione stiffened in the doorframe on her way into the kitchen. There were several clothing articles strewn all over the floor and the furniture was in a state of disarray, that Hermione didn't want to think about, but thought about anyway. She closed her eyes with a groan.

"You're early," Severus' voice greeted her from somewhere in the back of the room and when she moved her head into that direction, she saw him coming down the stairs in a dressing gown with a lazy smile on his face.

"More like, you're late," Hermione said with a huff of annoyance and threw her jacket on the hallstand in the corner. "It's 11."

Severus snorted. "Alright, you win. Sorry, we had a long evening."

"No details please," she said quickly and started casting cleaning charms on the sofa, before sitting down. Severus looked at her with a raised brow but didn't comment. Instead, he moved through the kitchen with ease and prepared a tray of breakfast with practised movements.

"You're going back upstairs?" Hermione asked and he snorted with a grin.

"Absolutely. But as you don't want any details..." a trailed off and Hermione leapt up from the sofa with a huff.

"You know what? I think I'm going out again," she said and summoned her jacket. "Take your time doing whatever you're doing and when you're finished and _decent_ just send me a Patronus with a discreet message, alright? I'll be in Diagon Alley."

Severus shrugged. "Will do. But don't expect one too soon. I haven't seen Charity for _ages_."

Diagon Alley was quiet at this time of the year. The school year was already in full swing and all the kids were back at Hogwarts. Christmas was still far away, so there was no specific reason for the masses to rush into the cosy shopping alley and Hermione was looking forward to strolling through the different shops in peace. She'd check out the newest books at Flourish and Blott's and if there was still time afterwards, she'd make her promised visit in the Weasley twin's joke shop. This plan held for about 5 minutes. Hermione was just about to enter the book shop when she spotted Lupin and Pettigrew through the shop window. They seemed to be animatedly discussing over some kind of book. She sighed and decided to avoid an awkward meeting with the Marauders and head to Fred and George's shop right away. WWW was at the same place that it was before and even if the design of the façade was less opulent than it was previously known to her, it was still a bright and colourful spot in the middle of the alley. Hermione smiled to herself and entered the shop full of happy anticipation.

The interior of the shop was an explosion of colours and Hermione had to stop and blink for a moment, before her eyes could truly relay to her brain what she was seeing. At the shop ceiling, there seemed to be a permanent display of fireworks which rained their colourful but harmless sparks down onto the customers. It was beautiful but distracting at the same time and Hermione had some problems spotting her red-haired friends among the sparkling lights and animated little animals, that zoomed through the air with dazzling speed.

"Hermione!" called a cheerful voice to her right and before she could even turn her head into the right direction a sparkly-eyed redhead stepped in front of her. "So happy you came to see our little shop."

"George," she said with a smile and hugged her friend with a happy grin. "I really wouldn't call this shop little. Next to "boring", that might be the worst adjective to describe this place." She grinned and looked around in awe. "It's different from the place I know, which is a bit confusing, but that just gives me a reason to explore everything again."

The man next to her laughed. "Go ahead then. Take a look around and if you have any questions Fred and I aren't far away." He winked at her before he moved to the next customer with a happy smile on his face. Hermione looked around and casually strolled along the aisles. Some of the products were new to her, like the variety of animated animals and magical creatures on display, but there were also products missing and Hermione looked around the shop in the hope to find them somewhere else.

"What are you looking for Hermione?" Fred's voice sounded to her left and the man came strolling towards her with bouncing steps. Hermione smiled shyly towards him, as it was still strange for her to see that particular Weasley happy and alive at this age.

"The Wonder Witch line. The tonic for the hair was great, helped with the frizz and everything," she admitted with pink cheeks. But Fred just looked at her in wonder.

"Sorry, we don't have that one, but it actually sounds like a great idea. Are you still around in half an hour? We have a lunch break then and if you like we could go upstairs together and you tell us about all the stuff, that you're missing from our shelves. I'm really curious what else we invented in the time you come from."

She looked at him speechlessly for a second as her head contemplated what he was asking. Was that somehow cheating? But why would it be? It was not like they were stealing those ideas from somebody else, right? And maybe this could help her new favourite Weasleys on their feet with the shop. "Alright, I'll stick around for you then. If you have some paper and a quill for me, I could make some notes while I am waiting for you to close the shop." Fred grinned happily and a moment later George stepped towards her with the required items. Hermione blinked in surprise.

"That was fast," she said and looked at the two of them with wide eyes. The redheads grinned cheekily.

"Time's money honey," Fred said and winked. "Huh, that rhymes."

Hermione laughed. "See you in half an hour then. And don't let me distract you from your work. I'll ask all my questions later." And just like that she set herself to work.

"Ah, so that's the Wonder Witch line you were talking about earlier," Fred said and looked at her with wide eyes. "Wonder why we didn't come up with this one here." He scratched his head. "Because the idea is actually quite brilliant."

Hermione smiled encouragingly. "It was quite the bestseller in my time, same with the Pygmy Puffs. I get the impression that you are mostly catering to the needs of boys at the moment, not so much the witches. But that way you are missing about half of the market."

The boys nodded in awe. "You're right," Fred breathed and looked at her with wide eyes. "Do you think… could you try to describe the things you saw in our shop back then?" George asked her with almost something like shyness in his voice. "Because the better you can describe the products, the easier it will be for us to recreate them."

Hermione took a bite from her sandwich and looked at them contemplatively. She really wanted to help them, but what they were asking of her wasn't really easy as she didn't understand half of the things she saw back then. If there was just a way to show them… She halted. There _was_ a way to show them.

"I'm not really that good at describing those things, but I could show you some of my memories from back then," she suggested and looked at them uncertainly. "Your uncles gave me a Pensive for my twentieth birthday and…"

"You'd do that?" George cried out, " Awesome!" Fred shouted and they leapt from their chairs only to engulf her in a hug from both sides. She smiled happily.

"Just tell me what day and time is most convenient for you," she said and hugged them back. But they just looked at her with a confused grin.

"What _day_?" George said before his twin continued. "Today of course. There's no chance we want to wait longer than necessary for that kind of stuff. It would be like finding a treasure chest and deciding to wait until _Christmas_ to open it."

Hermione nodded in understanding and pulled back from them. "Alright, this evening then. I'll come to your place around 8."

"Perfect!" they chorused and before Hermione knew what was happening, each of them pressed a big kiss on her cheek. She blushed but if the twins took notice of it, they didn't comment.

It looked like Severus and his wife would have just another undisturbed evening to themselves.

After finishing her lunch with the excited Weasley twins Hermione finally managed to visit the book store, as Remus and Pettigrew were no longer in sight. Hermione was still a bit embarrassed that she had avoided them in the first place, but she decided to fight this particular battle when she felt up to it. And that wasn't today. At the moment she already had enough things on her plate to sort out, how to leave her old life in the other timeline behind and build a new one here for herself. It wasn't only about forgetting Ron, but also finding new friends, finishing her NEWTs and earning a living on her own. She felt bad to always be dependent on Severus or the Prewetts but without having completed her exams it would be nearly impossible to find someone who would employ her. And so Hermione would just have to focus on her studies as much as possible and still manage to sort through the memories that kept returning back to her. After all of that was done, she would worry about Lupin and the other Marauders and Hermione didn't see this happening for quite some time.

Severus' Patronus caught her after half an hour of browsing through her favourite magical bookstore, but as Hermione didn't have any money to buy something anyway, she was happy that she could finally return to her room and make herself ready for the evening, because she wanted to prepare herself as best as she could, for showing her memories to Fred and George. She decided to extract the relevant memories beforehand, as she would most likely be more able to focus on everything without the giddy glances of the over-excited Weasleys and after she was finished, there were several vials full of glowing white memories, which she carefully pocketed together with the Pensieve. Still, the evening came faster than she had anticipated and before Hermione knew it, she was standing in front of Fred and George's front door with her heart beating nervously in her chest. The first and last time she had been to that place was full of sad and painful memories for her. After all, it was the last place she had been to in her original timeline. Coming back here now in this other universe felt … strange.

"Hey Georgie, our favourite time traveller is here to see us," Fred shouted into the flat, just as he opened the door and winked at her with a smile. "So glad you didn't change your mind on this. I admit George and I are already a bit over excited and were counting the minutes until your arrival."

Hermione smiled affectionately. "Then it's good I am usually on time," she said and stepped inside. The flat that lay ahead of her was very different from the place that she had seen during her last visit. It wasn't only much cleaner and in better shape, but the interior was also much simpler and probably much cheaper than the one in the other flat. Hermione didn't mind, on the contrary. She felt immediately at home.

Fred led her into the living room and motioned for her to sit down on the worn sofa, where George was waiting already cross-legged and with wide eyes. But seeing her, he immediately leapt up from his place and pulled her in an affectionate hug. "So glad you came to see us," he mumbled before sitting back down with rosy cheeks. Hermione smiled.

"I promised you I would. And I am always keeping my promises." Saying these words to George felt special because to her they meant so much more than just appearing to an appointed meeting. It was the vow to George that brought her here in the first place and seeing him here starry-eyed and happy, only strengthened her resolve to stay put in this timeline. Her magic must have felt this too, as the golden bands that weaved themselves around their bodies while making the vow, suddenly appeared again and glowed bright gold around their bodies. Hermione stared at them with wide eyes and she could see George in front of her starting to panic.

"Merlin, what _is_ that?" he gasped and stumbled backwards onto the sofa. Hermione stared at him speechlessly, before studying the magical cords that connected them. And to her dismay, they didn't look like they were about to vanish anytime soon. She sighed tiredly.

"It's the vow I made to you George, the _other you_ in fact," she said carefully and stepped closer. "May I sit down next to you? I swear I'll explain everything George, but please don't freak out. Either one of you."

Two matched sets of eyes blinked at her in confusion. "Freak out? Why would we do that? What did you do Hermione?" Fred said and sat down next to her so that she was sandwiched between the two of them.

She swallowed heavily. "It's actually quite a fortunate coincidence, that I brought the Pensieve with me today. Because for you to understand what happened and to be able to actually believe it, I think you'll need to see for yourselves."

George looked at her with an uncomfortable expression. "What are you going to show us, Hermione?"

She smiled sadly at them. "Everything."


	25. Chapter 25

A.N.: For this chapter my special thanks goes to my writer-friend Moonfairy13 who's always patiently helping me out, if I struggle phrasing something in English. You're my hero! Thank you for being there for me and encouraging me.

A.N: Before somebody tells me that the week days don't match with the dates: _I know_. I just realized that I messed up somewhere during the last chapters. At the beginning everything was fine, but somewhere I made a mistake. I'll correct that when I go over the story again, when everything is finished and I have someone betaing for me. But I can't correct it just now, I'm sorry.

Chapter 25: Gratitude

26th of September 1999

It was a long and draining evening for all of them as Hermione pulled memory strand after memory strand from her head and viewed them together with Fred and George in her Pensieve. She hadn't been lying when she said she'd show them everything because for them to understand what happened they needed the whole picture. And that meant seeing at least some parts of her sixth year at Hogwarts and the most important events since. Every memory she showed them made them look more and more haunted and after she finished with the last one of her visit with dying George, both men were openly crying next to her on the sofa. Hermione looked at them in sadness.

"I'm sorry, was that too much?" she whispered, looking at them anxiously. But she had barely closed her mouth again before they embraced her in a bone-crushing hug. They seemed at a loss for words though as none of them uttered a word and they just held her until their tears stopped falling.

"I think it's the first time in my life that I am totally speechless Hermione," Fred said after a while and slowly let go of her. "I can't believe what you did for our family, but especially for us. It quite frankly blows my mind and I have no words to show you my gratitude."

George nodded on her shoulder as he still hadn't let go of her. "We can never pay you back for this, Hermione. This is more than a life debt or anything I could even put into words," he mumbled and rested his head against hers. But Hermione gently shook her head.

"I don't want anything in return you two, that's not why I told you any of this. I just need you to understand what led me to make this vow towards you, George, because I think you need to acknowledge its fulfilment for these light cords to finally go away." She motioned towards the two of them and finally, George let go of her and looked at the magic binding them together.

"Yes, right," he said awkwardly, cleared his throat and locked his brown eyes with hers. "I, George Gideon Weasley, acknowledge the vow that you, Hermione Jean Granger, made toward me and I hereby declare it as fulfilled." The reaction was immediate, as the magical cords binding them together glowed even more brightly for a moment, before vanishing a moment later. Hermione blinked her eyes at the brightness for a moment, before her shoulders sagged with relief.

"I guess that's done then," she said and smiled before a huge yawn escaped her mouth. "Merlin, what time is it anyway?" She glanced at the watch on her wrist and blinked in surprise. "It's four in the morning."

Fred chuckled darkly. "That's why I feel so tired then. Thank god it's Sunday tomorrow because there's no way I would be able to stand in the shop and work tomorrow."

George hummed in agreement before turning to Hermione again. "You're staying over of course. There's no way I let you go before having had a proper talk about all of this." With that he pulled himself up from the sofa and gave her his hand, to help her up. "You can sleep in my room, I'll just bunk with Fred like in old times."

Hermione blinked at them insecurely. "But, I didn't bring anything for a sleepover, guys. I could just use the floo and come back in the morning." But they were having none of it.

"I'll resize you some of my pyjamas and for everything else you're a witch, right?" He winked at her. "So, no excuses, you're staying." He looked at her with firm eyes and Hermione sighed in defeat.

"Alright, I'm staying," she said and took George's hand to get up. He smiled at her full of gratitude.

"Excellent."

27th of September 1999

Hermione slept without dreaming that night which was unusual but welcome for Hermione. The last days had drained her and she was thankful to get some much-needed rest in George's very comfortable bed. It was noon until she finally crawled out of the covers and trotted into the bathroom across the hallway. When she emerged from it half an hour later, still in George's pyjamas, she saw that the twins were already up and waiting on the breakfast table for her.

"Morning guys," she said and padded towards them with bare feet. "Sorry for sleeping in, but I think I really needed the rest."

"Don't worry about it, Hermione. We want you to feel at home with us," Fred said and winked at her, before patting on the chair next to him. She followed the invitation with a happy smile.

"No Canary Cream for breakfast I hope," she said jokingly and poured herself some tea.

George snorted. "Only if you want some. We're more for classic breakfast though." He winked at her before offering her some toast and beans. She accepted them with a grateful nod. But just as she wanted to start eating, she saw both of them staring awkwardly at her.

"What is it?" she asked before taking a bite. Fred cleared his throat nervously and put his cup down, before taking her hand into his own.

"George and I have been thinking," he said and George who was sitting across from her at the table nodded with a shy smile. "About everything you told us yesterday, everything you lost or had to give up."

"Uh… okay?" Hermione said and waited what was coming next. Because she was pretty sure that the two of them had prepared some pretty big speech.

"You were dating our brother, weren't you?" George asked her suddenly before Fred had the chance to say something else and this time it was Hermione's turn to clear her throat.

"For about a year, yeah," she admitted and looked at her filled plate.

"Do you still love him?" the man across from her continued and she could feel the intensity with which he was studying her.

"I… the Ron from this timeline is very different, he's not the same and he will never be. The other Ron is lost to me now. I loved him very much once… but I am trying to get him out of my mind, to be honest."

Both of them nodded understandingly. "Take all the time you need, Hermione. And if you need help or simply… _anything_… we're here, for whatever you want," George concluded and looked at her with a smile. She smiled happily.

"There's actually really something I would like from you," she said and looked at them. "Two things actually."

"We're all ears," they said in unison and looked at her expectantly.

"I'd really like to be your friend again, not your aunt or whatever you consider me at the moment. I know we barely know each other, but I'd really like to change that. If that's alright with you," she mumbled and looked at them with a shy gaze. But she needn't have worried because instantly Fred pulled her into a firm hug, while George squeezed her hand across the table.

"We'd love to get to know you and be your friends, Hermione," they chorused happily, before letting go of her again. "And what's the second thing you'd like from us?"

Hermione grinned. "How do you feel about pranking Ron and saving the memory for me?"

They grinned. "It would be our pleasure."

29th of September 1999

Fred and George kept their promise of pranking their brother for her and it didn't take two hours after arriving back at Spinner's End for the first vial of memories to arrive. From there on she got a delivery once or twice per day usually accompanied by some words of gratefulness or appreciation or an invitation for an evening with them. Hermione had to admit that she was looking more and more forward to their little surprises. Suddenly Hermione's days weren't dull or sad at all and before she even realized it, the feeling of homesickness she had had for weeks had faded completely.

"I'd like to open a Gringott's account," she said to Severus two days later over lunch. "… and start earning some money for myself. I hate living out of your pocket and it's time I start doing something about it."

Her friend looked at her with a pleased smile. "I surely won't say anything against it. Do you want some support with the goblins? I'm free in the afternoon so if you want somebody to have your back or look over the contract…"

"Absolutely. Who knows how many problems I will run into," Hermione said and grinned. She had no idea.

Stepping into Gringott's would never get less exciting for Hermione. The building itself was impressive on its own but knowing that a huge dragon was guarding the vaults below and having the memories of her break-in into the bank made her heart beat faster when she got up the stairs towards the entrance. When she entered to building some moments later and was pinned down by the suspicious gaze of about twenty goblins that didn't make her any less nervous. She swallowed but when she felt Severus' reassuring hand on her shoulder she straightened her spine and moved to the next open counter.

"Name?" a black-haired goblin asked her with green distrustful eyes.

"Hermione Granger, sir," she said politely and forced herself to smile. "I'd like to open an account."

Immediately she could hear the hall breaking out into nervous whispers, while the goblin behind the counter looked at her with even more suspicion. "There is already an account with that name, Miss," he replied coldly and studied her with a piercing gaze. Hermione turned around and looked at Severus with wide eyes.

"There is? But… I never opened one, did I?" she asked him in a confused tone. Her friend shook his head with furrowed brows.

"Not that I know off, no. But as I mostly couldn't be at your side back then, there is the possibility that I am just not aware of it."

Hermione nodded thoughtfully, before turning back to the bank assistant. "As far as I know there is currently only one Hermione Granger in Wizarding Britain, sir. But unfortunately, I do not remember opening an account before."

The goblin nodded slowly and suddenly another goblin appeared right behind him. "Is there any way for you to prove, that you are indeed Hermione Granger, Miss?" She blinked in confusion.

"Well, I don't know. Is there? I do have my wand, or maybe by taking some of my blood…" she murmured and suddenly the hall broke out into excited whispers again. Hermione looked around nervously. What was all of this about? But she felt Severus starting to nervously shift from one foot to another.

"I wouldn't recommend offering your blood Hermione," he whispered urgently and Hermione nodded in understanding. Then she looked at the bank managers in front of her.

"Well? Is there a way to prove my identity?"

They smiled widely at her showing their pointed teeth in the process. "If you don't feel comfortable offering your blood, witch, then we will take hair from your head. And kindly hand over your wand if you please." He looked at her with dark gleaming eyes and Hermione looked at Severus for confirmation.

"What do you think Severus?"

Her friend shrugged. "There're some really dark rituals that can be performed with blood, but hair should be safe enough. They probably just want your DNA."

For a moment she blinked in surprise of the use of the muggle term before she remembered that her friend was a half-blood. She nodded before pulling one of her hairs out and offering it to the goblins. One of them took it carefully with two fingers and put it into a golden bowl that was richly decorated with various gems. Then he looked at her with a raised brow and Hermione handed over her wand to him with a polite nod. The goblin took it warily and inspected it with furrowed brows. As the minutes trickled by several other goblins appeared behind the counter and in the end, seven of them were engaged in a hushed discussion, as they motioned between her hair and her wand with agitated gestures. Hermione couldn't help but feel the nervousness take more and more hold of her. But before she could say something else to Severus one of the goblins stepped around the counter and offered Hermione her wand with a deep bow.

"Madame Granger," he said and looked at her with an unreadable expression. "My name is Warrick, I am the current leader of Gringott's. I apologize for the inconvenience we might have caused you. But we had to make sure it is really you."

Hermione looked at Warrick in surprise. "It's alright I suppose. But I must confess that I am still not sure what all of this is about." She blinked at him, then suddenly felt the tell-tale headache from behind her forehead and gripped Severus arm in caution. And before she could say any anything else to warn him, she felt her vision cloud over and her legs give out, as another memory hit her with the force of a truck.

5th of June 1981

After having secured their second Horcrux Hermione was so full of victorious feelings, that she had the strong hope everything would be well in the end. They had Dumbledore's help for destroying the pieces of Voldemort's soul now and as Severus was already working on retrieving the diary from Malfoy Manor, there were only two other Horcruxes they had to worry about. And while Hermione was floating in her bubble of victorious feelings, she suddenly had a mad little idea. She wasn't particularly fond of the idea of breaking into Gringott's again and as Severus wasn't really keen on stealing a hair from Bellatrix, they would have to try something else first. Hermione had an idea what exactly that could be. But before she would even consider making steps into that direction, she would consult with Fabian, Gideon and Severus - her cunning Slytherin friend. Because if she wanted this plan to work, she'd need all the cunning and knowledge she could get.

And so it was three days of heavy planning and discussions later, that Hermione marched into Gringott's with her twins and an expertly transfigured Severus in tow. Fabian had done a masterful job on him and even Hermione who knew that it was Severus couldn't find any similarities between him and the blonde, stunningly handsome wizard that looked at her with pale almost violet eyes. He looked like a Veela with his long hair that fell down his back in soft waves and the charming smile that played around his lips. He looked like an entirely different person and if they were spotted by a Death Eater by chance, no one would be able to make the connection to the grumpy, oily haired wizard with crooked teeth that was a member of their muggle-hating circle. And so Hermione felt confident that their little scheme would remain undetected.

Luckily the bank was fairly empty when the four of them stepped inside. There were only two customers around and so most of the counters were empty. Severus, who had taken the lead in their little party, confidently turned to the left and moved to the counter at the back of this side with a grace that spoke of money and an upbringing in the highest circles. Hermione followed him close behind with the twins flanking her from both sides.

"I'd like to offer the bank a business deal," Severus' rich baritone stated firmly as he looked the goblin behind the counter squarely into its small beady eyes. "But I'd prefer a more private setting for this discussion."

The black-haired bank assistant studied him with intelligent eyes and after a moment he nodded and hopped from his high stool. "Come with me then, noble Sir," he said and hobbled towards a large golden door in the back of the room. The three of them followed him closely and Hermione could feel the eyes of almost everyone else in the bank following them. She raised her head proudly and passed the door with a confident smile on her lips that didn't show the inner turmoil she was feeling.

They were led into a huge office that looked more like a richly decorated sitting room of some wealthy Aristocrat and only the desk at the other end of the room betrayed the impression and indicated the real function of the room.

"Please take a seat. I'll go and get the bank manager for you," the goblin said and before any one of them could utter a reply he closed the door behind him and was gone. Hermione sighed nervously.

"Merlin, I hope this works," she said and sat down on an intricately decorated chair that looked like it was directly from a museum. Her friends copied her action after sending her a nervous smile.

"Me, too," Severus mumbled while sitting down to her left. It didn't take long for the door behind them to be opened again and Hermione got up from her seat again to greet the elderly Goblin that was walking towards them with measured steps. She nodded towards him with a kind smile and the three men in her company copied the gesture of respect before sitting down again. The goblin looked at them with a pleased smile, before taking his seat behind the desk.

"My name is Grabruk. I am the current bank manager of this Gringott's branch. It came to my attention that you want to make a business proposal, sir. May I inquire your name and the nature of the proposal?"

Severus looked at the white-haired goblin across from him with a winning smile. "My name isn't to any importance to this discussion as I am not actually the one, making the proposal." He nodded towards Hermione with a small smile and she saw it as her cue to look at Grabruk with proud eyes. "It is me who wants to talk to you, sir," she said and immediately the small green eyes of the bank manager came to rest on her.

"And your name is?" he asked her in a polite tone.

"My name is Hermione Granger," she replied and looked at him with a self-assuredness she didn't feel at all. Now it was time to play her cards and she would have to do so very carefully. "My friends and I came across two Goblin made artefacts and we would like to seek your opinion on their condition first. Would you agree to inspect them, before we continue this discussion?"

Grabruk looked at her with growing interest. "We would consider doing so given a small fee," he said and looked at her with an inclined head.

Hermione nodded with a grateful smile. "Thank you. I need to insist though, that this conversation must remain within these walls and is not to leave it under any circumstances. It is for all of our safety." The goblin nodded and she continued. "Furthermore you might want to consider inviting one of your most skilled curse breakers in for the discussion."

The goblin studied her with a calculating gaze. "Very well," he finally said and pulled at the small cord next to his desk. "Harrinuk will join us in a moment. I must admit, that you have piqued my curiosity."

Hermione smiled to herself. That was intention behind her introduction of the upcoming discussion. Because she needed the goblins to listen to her and really consider what she was offering.

Harrinuk the curse breaker was a goblin as well and he strode into the room wearing a heavy-looking armour, that made him look more like a warrior. He nodded towards them with a grim expression before stepping next to the bank manager and conversing with him in a hushed tone. Hermione waited patiently for the end of their little exchange of information. It didn't take long until Grabruk looked at them with a business-like expression.

"Very well, we are now ready to inspect your artefacts," he said and Hermione nodded. This was the twin's cue and they stepped in front of the desk and Gideon pulled a little box out of his robe that had the size of a matchbox. But as soon as his twin touched it, the little charmed thing extended to its original size and Hermione recognized the safe box her twins had constructed for the safe-keeping of the Horcruxes. The twins looked at her for a short moment, before gripping the lid of the container in unison and opening it with a practised move. The two Goblins behind the desk looked at the contents of the box in stunned silence before a small smile started to form around their lips. And Hermione immediately knew she had their attention.


	26. Chapter 26

A.N.: Hey guys, today it's just a short chapter. I hope you like it anyway. As always I am very interested in your theories about what might have happened or what could happen next. Don't worry, there are still at least 10 chapters ahead of you so a lot is still about to happen.

Chapter 26: The contract

5th of June 1981

"Well, this is really unexpected, Miss Granger," Grabruk said with a visible glint in his eyes. "At least one of these items has been assumed lost for a very long time. Would you mind explaining how they came into your possession?"

Hermione looked at the goblin addressing her with a serious expression before pursuing her lips. "This is where the tale starts getting dangerous. You see, as far as we know each of the items has been infused with a part of the Dark Lord's soul."

She saw the two goblins bare their teeth at this bit of information, but she chose to ignore it for now and just continued. "My friends and I are working to bring him down. This is the reason we are hunting for these artefacts."

Grabruk nodded carefully but looked at them with a guarded expression now. "I see. But I fail to understand why you want us to look at those items for you if you already know that they are sullied." Harrinuk the curse breaker nodded next to him.

This time it was Fabian answering the question for her. "You see, to bring the Dark Lord down, we'll have to destroy the pieces of his soul. There are only two ways known to us doing this: Fiendfyre and Basilisk venom. But both of them would destroy those valuable artefacts forever."

Gideon nodded before continuing for him. "We hope that with the help of the Goblin race there might be a third option though, one that might not be known to wizardkind. You have created these beautiful artefacts after all and we thought that if there is a way to save them, then it might be known to you."

Grabruk looked at them with growing respect in his eyes, before locking eyes with Harrinuk next to him. "What say you?"

The other goblin stroked his chin thoughtfully. "It has never been done before," he finally said and looked at the four of them with a stern gaze. "Usually our artefacts do not get sullied by this kind of dark magic and if they do, we were never asked for help before, as the wizarding race simply does not think it worth their effort to do so."

Severus looked at him with a raised brow: "Until now," he added and the goblin nodded absentmindedly.

"This does not mean that it cannot be done though," Grabruk continued and looked at them with a calculating expression. "but it will be a dangerous process and quite frankly I don't know if the effort will be worth for the goblin race. At the moment we are on neutral ground with the self-proclaimed Dark Lord and it would not be in our interest to change that sort of peace I believe."

"…except there's something in it for you," Severus added and looked at the two goblins in front of him with a knowing grin. But their negotiating partner didn't seem ashamed by the accusation and nodded matter-of-factly.

Hermione smiled. "You see, our only interest is to see those pieces of Voldemort's soul destroyed," she chose to use his name deliberately and saw the other occupants in the room flinch. "We do have no interest in keeping the artefacts afterwards, as our means to destroy the soul pieces would destroy them anyway."

At that, she saw a greedy light appear in the eyes of the goblins across from her. "So here is the deal I want to propose. Altogether there are five artefacts such as these out of there. Two are already in our possession and I know that another one in the form of the cup of Helga Hufflepuff is stored in the Lestrange's vault of your bank. If you agree to cleanse all the five artefacts for us you can consider whatever remains after the process as your payment."

Grabruk looked at her with his dark beady eyes. "Which would require us to take something of one of our customer's vaults in the first place," he said and Hermione nodded unimpressed.

"It would. But would said artefact be even considered a possession of the Lestrange's in the first place? It is a goblin made artefact after all and therefore it should have gone back into the hands of your race long ago…" she looked at them with firm eyes and saw her conversation partners shift their heads in consideration.

"She has a valid point," Harrinuk finally admitted and Grabruk grunted in agreement.

"She does indeed."

Secretly Hermione started to feel more and more convinced of the idea. If they could just convince the goblin race to help them, they would have gained valuable allies and hopefully destroyed another Horcrux in the same move.

"Do you expect the goblin race to align themselves with you against the Dark Lord?" Harrinuk interrupted her train of thoughts and looked at her with a contemplative gaze. "Because destroying the pieces of his soul would mean exactly that, wouldn't it?"

Hermione started gnawing at her bottom lip. "Not necessarily. We believe that by splitting his soul into that many pieces he became detached from them in the first place and would most likely not feel their destruction. But to be sure we would advocate destroying them all at the same time and killing the Dark Lord himself shortly after."

Her friends nodded alongside with her before Severus continued: "The goblins would not be expected to be part of that final attack nor any other attack against the Death Eaters. It would be in fact preferable if you did not involve yourself in any way except destroying the soul pieces. We do not want any suspicions towards you and your doings. It must not be discovered."

The two goblins silently conversed with each other again and Hermione dared to cast a careful look at her friends. They all followed the interaction with neutral expressions that did not betray their thoughts. It didn't take long until they were addressed by the bank employees again and Hermione was thankful for it, as she could barely stand the tension any longer.

"The terms of the deal you proposed to us, are acceptable. As soon as all five soul pieces are collected, Gringott's will provide a team of experts that will take care of their disposal. By performing this deed for you all … remnants will go over into the ownership of the goblin race again."

Hermione nodded in satisfaction and smiled at the goblin. "Very good, but the fifth soul piece will have to be provided by you, as we are not able to access the respective vault on our own."

Harrinuk and Grabruk nodded with a toothy smile. "This will be taken care of. Let's draw up to necessary contract then because I am sure both sides need some sort of insurance, that all points we just agreed on will be followed accordingly."

"Excellent," Hermione replied with a wide smile and offered her hand to the two goblins across from her. "It's a pleasure doing business with you, gentlemen."

29th of September 1999

When Hermione came to her senses again her body didn't rest on the marble floor as she had expected it would, but on a comfortable and soft surface. She opened her eyes with a groan and looked around groggily. She was no longer in the big hall with all the counters but in a small room that was similarly decorated to the room she had seen in her recent flashback, only that there was a large comfortable bed in the room, which she was currently occupying.

"Look who's awake," Severus rich baritone rumbled next to her and when she looked up, her friend studied her with a sympathetic gaze. "You scared those goblins half to death and I had quite the task explaining to them, that these incidents are quite usual for you these days."

Hermione nodded with an unhappy smile. "Yeah, it's really annoying when it happens in public though. I hope I didn't make a total fool out of myself."

"Don't worry. Those goblins seem to worship the ground you walk on," Severus whispered just in time before the door to her room opened again and a well-known goblin stepped inside.

"Grabruk," Hermione greeted him with the smile and pulled herself up from the covers. "It's lovely seeing you again."

The goblin stepped next to her bed, before bowing his head deeply and offering her his hand in greeting. "Hermione Granger," he said and looked her up and down. "It is indeed a happy day for us now that you finally came to see us. We assumed the worst after we didn't hear from you again after…"

Hermione smiled a thin smile. "I was indisposed for the last several years I fear."

"So your friend explained to us," Grabruk said with a solemn nod. "It was actually quite the story, fitting for an honoured war heroine like yourself." He smiled widely at her and Hermione shook his hand with a happy smile.

"Not many see me as a heroine these days," she said with a rueful smile and thought about Remus and the others that disliked her for the things she did in the past. But Grabruk looked her with a mockingly raised brow.

"That is because most wizards are even more short-sighted than a mole. Don't worry yourself because of them."

Severus, who sat next to her, snorted in amusement but didn't comment. Hermione nodded with a smile. "Very well, then I won't." She swung her legs out of the bed and got up with a groan.

"You don't have one of these headache potions with you, Severus, do you?" she asked her friend, who immediately offered her his arm.

"Course I have one. I am not one of the short-sighted wizards after all." Hermione took the offered vial with a smile and downed it with one gulp. The effect was immediate and she released a relieved sigh.

"That is much better, thank you," she said and pressed his arm in gratitude.

"Does that mean you are up for a visit to your vault now, Madame?" Grabruk said and looked at her with a curious expression.

Hermione nodded but looked at him uncertainly. "About that… I don't remember opening a vault in the first place," she admitted and looked at him with pink cheeks. But the goblin smiled.

"That's because you didn't, I did," the goblin replied and offered her a toothy grin. "After the war so many of us wanted to offer you a token of their gratitude, but there was nobody we could send these things to. And so I decided on opening a vault for you instead."

Hermione looked at him with wide eyes. "I still don't understand. In our last conversation, I remember you emphasised that the goblin race was on neutral grounds with the Death Eaters and therefore didn't have much of a problem with them. What happened?"

But the goblin just smiled at her and shook his head. "You really have no idea what you did for us, do you?"

Hermione shook her head. "Not really, no."

"Then it is not my place to tell you. But as I was told your memories are returning to you bit by bit. So don't worry about it for now." With that he waddled towards the door. "And now give me the honour of escorting you to your vault. It's one of the most secure ones in our building, guarded by a dragon."

Hermione looked at the goblin in front of her with wide eyes. "You've got to be kidding me."

Hermione fell onto the sofa of Severus' living room with a tired sigh, before staring unseeingly into the air. Visiting her own vault was just bizarre and she still couldn't believe the amounts of gold and artefacts she had found in there. It was utterly surreal and didn't make sense at all.

"You can definitely afford a place on your own now," Severus commented dryly and put a steaming cup of tea in front of her on the table. But Hermione just stared at it, without making an effort to actually drink it. She wasn't even sure if she'd be able to hold the cup at the moment.

"I knew you wanted to get rid of me," she said with a crooked grin, before shaking her head in disbelief. "Why is there so much money in my name Severus? It can't only be because I returned those artefacts to them, can it? They regarded them as their own anyway."

Her friend hummed in agreeance, before sitting down in one of the wing chairs. "They are regarding you as a war hero Hermione," he finally said and looked at her with unreadable eyes. "And I do have an idea why."

She looked at him with tired eyes. "But you won't tell me?"

He shook his head with a regretful smile. "No, not this time. But don't worry Hermione, it can't be too long until you remember yourself. And until then you could start thinking about what to spend all this money on. You could, for example, buy yourself a house-elf…" He looked at her with a teasing grin and Hermione couldn't help but throw one of the pillows after him.

"Why don't you just say that you want to get rid of me," she shouted, before throwing another one. Severus chuckled amusedly, before wandlessly levitating the pillow back at her so that it smacked right into her face. She laughed, before pulling out her own wand. It was obvious that Snape was trying to distract her and she found that just today she would let him get away with it.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27: Friends

5th of June 1981

When Hermione left Gringott's again half an hour later she felt like celebrating and by the look of it she wasn't the only one. Fabian and Gideon had both slung an arm around her waist and led her down the stairs with a wide grin. Severus walked proudly in front of them while holding his head high and letting the blonde wavy hair he was still calling his own for now playing in the wind. It was a far cry from the grumpy and insecure boy she had met over a month ago and Hermione asked herself, how much of his current behavior was show and how much of it was real. Severus didn't have many friends and his childhood and youth hadn't been easy. When Hermione looked at him now she hoped that the worst days lay already behind him. But as her friend was still officially a Death Eater and his master pretty much alive, this was probably a hopeless wish.

"Let's go somewhere and celebrate," Hermione suddenly said and looked at her boys with a large smile. "Today we achieved more than I ever dared to hope. And we did it all together."

The twins looked at her with a wide smile, while Severus' expression remained unreadable. "These are dangerous times Hermione. I'm not sure if it is wise to be seen out in public. You never know who's out to get you."

Hermione nodded in understanding. "You're probably right. But no one says we have to go out in the wizarding world. There're lots of nice Muggle pubs in London and no one will know us there. And you're still in disguise anyway."

Severus thoughtfully weighed his head, before finally giving in with a sigh. "Alright, we'll go to a pub together. But if this gets me killed, I am coming back to haunt you."

She shrugged. "That's only fair. As long as you're doing it with more charm then Moaning Myrtle I'm alright with it."

To make sure they were far enough away from Diagon Alley Hermione brought them to a club she had once been to with Ginny and Luna after the war. It was a lively little club right in the center of London and in an attempt to cheer each other up from everything they lost, the girls had decided to try to have a bit of fun. It had worked for a short while and so the evening with the two girls was one of the fond memories Hermione had from her time after the war.

The club was different in 1981 though. Not only the interior was different and less extravagant, but also the guests frequenting it were a bit rougher than she had expected.

"Um Okay, this is a bit different than it was in my time," Hermione admitted and looked around. There was a huge dance platform in the middle of the club, which was already vibrating with life even though it was still early in the evening. They had all gone home to the Prewett's house to freshen up a bit, but as Hermione was full of energy and good spirits she could not be held at home any longer than necessary. She was giddy and wanted to celebrate.

"Looks nice enough," Severus said unimpressed and moved towards the bar. "What would you like to get?"

The boys stuck to beer and shots, while Hermione decided to try some of the cocktails that were listed on the menu. The cocktail the waiter brought to her table was blue and sweet and Hermione felt its effects only after a few sips.

"Merlin, this stuff is much stronger than it tastes. I'm not really much of a drinker, so this could get awkward quite soon. Please don't let me do anything too stupid alright?"

Fabian and Gideon looked at her with matching grins. "We wouldn't dream of it. Don't worry princess, we'll protect you, even from yourself."

Hermione laughed happily and took another sip of her drink before her eyes fell on Severus, who had drowned two shots of a suspicious green liquid next to her and looked at the dancing couples in the middle of the room with an almost mournful gaze. It was like all the cheerfulness and self-assuredness from before had been stripped from him and what remained was his trademark scowl on a foreign face.

"Severus, what's wrong?" she asked him and carefully touched his arm. He looked at her with tired, sad eyes.

"Even if we managed to save Lily, she will never be mine, will she? She's made her decision long ago but I keep asking myself, what could have been if I hadn't made friends with the wrong people, hadn't called her a..."

She nodded in understanding and sighed. "She might have been with you now instead, but she might as well not. We will never know, but I think it's quite sure that she will not leave James behind, now that they have Harry. And she shouldn't." She looked at her friend with a stern expression. "Loving someone without being loved in return is hard," she said and sighed, as she remembered the years she had been pining after Ron. Seeing him with Lavender had almost broken her and she could only imagine that it was the same for Severus now. "I have been there and done that for years and I know it hurts." She put her hand on his shoulder in the hope to comfort him and he carefully leaned his now blonde head against her arm in return.

"I don't want to end like him, like the Severus you showed me. It was horrible just seeing it and I really don't want to be like that. But what if it's my destiny?"

Hermione smiled at him. "Nobody but you decides who you are, Severus. Even if it is your destiny, try to change it. Because that's exactly what we are trying to do and I'd say at the moment we are quite successful."

Fabian and Gideon who were sitting at her other side grinned widely, before downing another shot at the same time and finally, Severus smiled shyly back at them. "Alright, I am going to change my fate. Lily Evans might be lost to me, but I refuse to become a grumpy and lonely old man." He nodded firmly and looked at them in determination. "I am going to change my future and I will start today."

Hermione smiled and looked at him with a twinkle in her eyes. "Good, now dance with me," she said and offered him her arm. For a moment he stared at her with wide eyes, before looking carefully towards the twins.

"Are you sure?" he asked but Hermione nodded resolutely.

"Absolutely, come on." With that, she just took him by the sleeve and pulled him towards the dance floor. Severus followed her without struggle but his face showed that he felt very unsure about the whole thing. But Hermione just smiled at him encouragingly and started to dance to the music playing around them. His first moves were still stiff and awkward, but it didn't take too long until a small smile started to tug on the corner of his mouth and he looked more and more sure of what he was doing. He wasn't an accomplished dancer by any means, but Hermione didn't care. Today it was just about the fun and fun they had. As the second song started they were giggling along with each other while trying out dance moves they saw the others do with growing enthusiasm. That was until Fabian and Gideon appeared at their sides with a wide smile on their lips.

"Mind if we join you?" they asked and started to dance along with them. Hermione smiled and made space for them, while Severus only shrugged. And so they danced and Hermione had as much fun, as she didn't have in ages. She knew that the war would catch up with them soon, but today she allowed herself to be happy – and happy she was.

"Looks like Severus has an admirer," Gideon suddenly whispered into her ear and really – when she looked up a beautiful blonde woman was dancing around her friend with shining eyes.

"Should we help him?" she asked, but it was so noisy, that she had to press her ear directly to Gideon's ear to be heard.

"It doesn't look like he needs help at all," Gideon whispered back and just then she saw, that the foreign woman was suddenly dancing very close to Severus and her friend said something to her with an excited glint in his eyes.

"Looks like he's just about to get over his crush on Lily," Fabian suddenly murmured into her other ear and she could feel his breath tickling her neck. Hermione nodded happily.

"Good for him. But I guess for today it's now only the three of us," she said, just as the music changed into another, much quieter song. Hermione saw, that the blonde woman was suddenly in Severus' arms, where she continued to dance with him. Hermione looked at the two of them with a confused blink.

"Don't worry about him," Fabian murmured into her ear, before turning her towards him. "He's a big boy. And you've still got us to dance." With that, he pulled her into his arms and started to sway to the music.

"Shouldn't we maybe skip that song and go back to the bar? What about Gideon?" she asked awkwardly, but before Fabian could reply she could suddenly feel Gideon pressing himself to her back while embracing her from behind.

Fabian chuckled into her ear. "Don't worry about him, Hermione. We're magical twins. We're happy to share."

Hermione looked at him with wide eyes and she could feel her cheeks starting to burn embarrassedly. But luckily it was too dark in the room for them to see. Dancing with two men at the same time should have felt awkward or been difficult, but with Fabian and Gideon, it was strangely not. They moved in perfect synchro and not once she got squished or stepped on her feet. Hermione secretly started to enjoy the attention of those handsome intelligent men. She knew that it was probably wrong because she had Ron waiting for her back at home, but if she was honest with herself, she didn't even know if she'd ever be able to return to her time. It wasn't like she would let anything serious happen between the three of them anyway. But Hermione wanted to celebrate and enjoy the evening, she told herself as her heart was hammering excitedly in her chest, and Fabian and Gideon looked like they were up to the task.

1st of October 1999

"I'm going out today," Hermione said and tied the comfortable new boots that she had just bought today in a nice little muggle shoe shop. "It's Friday and Fabian and Gideon have suggested, that we do something together once a week."

Severus smiled widely at her. "Like what? Dancing?" he said and waggled his brows.

"Oh, do shut up," she scolded him with pink cheeks. "Shouldn't have told you that I remembered that evening. Who was that blonde girl anyway?"

Her friend looked at her smugly. "Her name was Alice. We met a few times before she met somebody else."

Hermione looked at him and instantly felt pity for him. "I'm sorry. Was it something serious between the two of you?"

But Severus just snorted amusedly. "Not really no, we were basically just shagging each other's brains out."

She looked at him with wide eyes and red cheeks, before she hastily grabbed her jacket from the coatrack. "Um, alright. I think I'll be off now."

"Alright," her friend said and waved her off with a chuckle. "Have fun."

"We're only bowling," Hermione murmured and closed the door behind her with a huff, but not without seeing the knowing glint behind his eyes. But she chose to ignore it and apparated to the Prewett's house with a nervous tingle in her stomach.

Fabian and Gideon were already waiting for her in front of the house, but when Hermione came closer, there were also two other redheads as well. "Fred? George? What are you doing here?" she asked and looked at them with wide eyes.

"They invited themselves," Fabian said with a crooked grin and greeted her with a hug. "Said they always wanted to try bowling."

Hermione smiled widely at them. "Well, the more the merrier I guess," she said with a shrug and Fred and George send her a winning grin. This definitely wouldn't be a boring evening at all, Hermione mused, while leading her little group of friends to the bowling hall she had picked for the evening. Fred and George were amusing her with stories from their shop, while each of them had taken one of her hands and strolled at her side.

"So you've never tried bowling? Any of you?" she asked into the round and looked behind her to see Fabians and Gideon's reaction.

"Nope," Fred answered and popped the p. "But I guess it can't be too difficult. I'm still not sure what to do with the bowl, but I'm sure you'll explain everything just brilliantly." He grinned at her, but Hermione just rolled her eyed with a grin.

"You don't need a bowl for playing it. You're playing it with a heavy ball and you'll do quite nicely. Playing Quidditch requires some aim and hand-eye coordination and I'm sure you all have loads of it."

"Sure we do," Fred said with a boyish grin and squeezed her hand. "But I can give you a head start, if you like, just to prove that I'm a Gentleman."

Hermione smiled and shook her head without giving him an answer to that. Because somehow she got the impression that he had just been flirting with her and she really didn't know how to react to that.

Even though the evening with her friends was great and there had been lots of laughing and joking, it left Hermione dissatisfied in a very strange way. It was nothing she could put a finger on, but when they were finally all back in front of the Prewett's house, Hermione felt a strange yearning inside.

"Alright, night Hermione," George said and pulled her in a hug, before pressing a quick kiss onto her cheek. "Thanks for teaching us how to not make a complete fool of ourselves."

Hermione looked at him with a chuckle. "It was actually lots of fun. But I'm sure the next time I don't stand a chance to the lot of you."

Fred next to them chuckled and pulled her into a hug himself. "So there is a next time? Great. I was hoping there would be. Just give us a floo call or send an owl or whatever," he said and hugged her tightly, before letting go of her with a happy smile.

"Uncles," the two of them said then and saluted towards Fabian and Gideon. "Thanks for letting us come along because this was loads of fun. Exactly what we needed after such a hard week," George said and clasped Gideon's arm.

"I guess we'll see each other on Sunday for mum's family lunch," Fred added and waved them with a crooked smile. Then the two of them turned around in unison and disapparated with a silent plop.

Hermione looked at Fabian and Gideon with a shy smile. She really didn't want to go, as she had the feeling, that there was almost no time to talk to them this evening. Not that she hadn't enjoyed it anyway, but when she thought about leaving now, an uncomfortable feeling settled in her stomach.

"Do you want to come in for a bit?" Fabian asked her with raised eyebrows and a little smile on his lips, before she even found the courage to ask them herself.

"I'd love to," she replied enthusiastically, strolled towards the two of them and took their hands. "What did you have in mind?"

They beamed at her happily. "Whatever you like is fine for us. Maybe some time on the sofa? There's still a nice bottle of wine somewhere."

"Sounds perfect," Hermione admitted and followed the two of them inside with a happy sigh. The Prewett's living room felt a bit like the Gryffindor common room with its cozy armchairs and sofas and the huge fireplace that was almost taking up half of the wall. Even though the colour scheme was brown and dark violet it felt to her, like being back to Hogwarts again and for a moment she could feel her heart contract in home-sickness. But as her eyes fell on the happy smiles the twins cast in her direction, it was immediately gone again. She didn't know why, but whenever she was close to them now, she felt like home.

Gideon had already made himself comfortable on the sofa and after a short moment of hesitation, Hermione chose to sit right next to him and leave some space for Fabian on her other side. He came into the room just a moment later, with a bottle of wine in one hand, and three glasses in the other. He put everything in front of them on the table before sitting down next to her. And just like that Hermione's heart started beating excitedly again. Her recently recovered memory of them dancing together hadn't really helped to calm her confused feelings towards them. But she didn't want to make things awkward between them again, because she had done enough of that in the past.

"Could I ask you something?" she finally convinced herself to ask and crossed her socked legs in front of her on the sofa.

"Sure," the redhead replied light-heartedly while Fabian filled their glasses on the table.

"How is it to be magical twins? I mean, I do know some things but if one considers the fact that I am friends with two pairs of magical twins, I don't know nearly enough. And I'd really like to change that."

Gideon sent her a kind smile and squeezed her arm encouragingly. "Sounds like a good idea to me. What is it you do know in the first place? We can expand your knowledge by going from there."

Hermione fished herself a glass from the table and after toasting with them, she took a generous sip before saying: "Through George, I learned, that one twin can't live long without the other one. In my old timeline, George managed for about a year, but it was so sad to watch. To be honest, knowing that it will one day happen to any of you kind of freaks me out. Why does it even happen?"

Fabian looked at her with a sad smile, before he put an arm around her shoulder. "Totally understandable, but that's only half of the story. As far as I know, magical twins have magical cores that are linked to each other. In all-day life, those cores support and strengthen each other, which makes us more powerful than the average wizard. It can also lead to an extended life span, which is quite fortunate. But the downside is that if one of us dies, the magical core slowly starts to bleed out and the remaining twin simply weathers away, which really isn't a way one wants to die."

Hermione nodded sadly, while her brain already contemplated the other information she just got from him. "You're going to live longer? That's… amazing."

The redheads grinned cheerfully. "If we aren't murdered in our sleep or decide to take on another Dark Lord, that's pretty safe to say, yeah," Gideon said and winked at her. Hermione smiled back at him, before taking another sip from her glass of wine.

"And we're not planning to do that," Fabian added with a twinkle in his eyes before squeezing her shoulder. "What else do you want to know, sunshine? Because I imagine there is more..."

Hermione smiled shyly. "There definitely is. What about... well how do I call it? Sometimes Fred and George would finish each other's sentences or sometimes the two of you do things totally in synch, like when you danced with me. How can you do that? And what else like that can you do?"

"You remembered the dance?" Gideon asked her and for a moment his gaze was solemn before the smile was back on his face again. "Well, then you've seen the two of us already in action. Basically, magical twins can hear each other's thoughts. Not always, but if we are physically near each other or when strong feelings are involved, then we can send each other thoughts or pictures. Sometimes we can also feel what the other one feels. That's practically how you can move in synch too but it takes a bit of practice."

Hermione nodded with wide excited eyes. "Wow, that's brilliant. Now I can see how the two of you are such excellent duellists."

"...and dancers," Fabian added with a waggle of his eyebrows and Hermione couldn't help but blush.

"That too, yeah." She said, smiled and after a short moment of hesitation she leaned her head against Fabian's arm on her shoulder. She was immediately awarded a happy smile from him before he kissed her hair and Hermione's belly was all in flutters again. But she decided to not overanalyse these feelings for now and just enjoy the evening as it was. For a while, they just set together and sipped their wine and Hermione felt like the alcohol went straight to her head again. But as far as it just made her feel a bit fuzzy and lightheaded she actually didn't mind. It was in fact quite nice not to be her overthinking over-careful self for a while.

"There's something else I was wondering about," she finally said while nipping at her glass. "You once told me, that you prefer to date the same woman. Why is that? Is that a general thing for magical twins?"

For a moment neither Fabian nor Gideon said something to that and Hermione wondered if they just had a silent conversation through their twin bond. But just as Hermione had closed her eyes and leaned more against Fabian's warm body, Gideon looked at her with an unreadable expression and said:

"Most magical twins do date the same woman, but there are also known pairs that found themselves another set of magical twins. Magical twins are a quite rare occurrence though and so it is quite unlikely for two pairs of magical twins falling in love with each other."

Hermione nodded and smiled lazily. She could feel that her eyelids were starting more and more heavy but as the conversation was simply too interesting at the moment and she fought not to fall asleep just now.

"There're actually two reasons for dating the same person I think. The first one is that Fabian and I are so much alike in our core that we simply fall in love with the same person. Of course, there are still differences between the two of us, as you most likely observed, but for the choice of partner this doesn't seem to be of big relevance."

She hummed in agreeance and felt Fabian turn towards her on the sofa so that she could lean her back comfortably against his chest. She did so without even thinking about it and felt his arms closing around her belly and pulling her close. Hermione sighed contently and cuddled closer. "And what's the second reason?" she finally murmured and forced her eyes open again, to look at Gideon with curiosity. He smiled shyly at her.

"Well, it's awkward to date someone your brother is not and when you know that you are projecting your feelings, pictures, and thoughts to him while being with the person you love. As I said, the connection gets stronger when strong feelings are involved. Can you imagine what that means when you're sleeping with someone? The connection is almost impossible to tamper down than, so that the other twins almost certainly feels or sees some of the things, you'd much rather keep private. It's awkward and just feels voyeuristic and somehow wrong."

"I see," Hermione replied while thinking about all this new information in her head. But she realized that she was simply too tired or too drunk to really be able to grasp what it meant. And so instead of saying something else in return, she leaned heavier against the warm and comforting body behind her and closed her eyes with a content sigh. "M tired," she mumbled sleepily and a part of her brain registered that Fabian's head was now resting on the top of hers. "Can I stay over?"

"Anytime Princess," the redhead behind her murmured into her hair. "Should we get you upstairs?"

Hermione shook her head tiredly. "No, 'm comfy here," she mumbled silently and a moment later she already drifted to sleep. If Fabian ever replied something to her, she no longer heard him.


	28. Chapter 28

A.N.: Alright, let's tackle another Horcrux, shall we? I admit that I hate writing these chapters and having to deal with the Horcruxes. But as I want to stay canon as much as possible, there's no way around it. I hope you can enjoy reading the chapter anyway, it took me days to write it which is very atypical for me. But as I said, there are the passages I struggle the most with.

Chapter 28: The traitor

15th of June 1981

Their success at Gringott's left Hermione in high spirits but as the days went on, she realized that there was not much she could do now, as finding the last two Horcruxes strongly depended on Severus' and Dumbledore's help. Severus regularly assured her, that he had some kind of plan and the Horcrux would soon be in their hands and Hermione willed herself to trust him. It wasn't like she had much choice anyway, as almost nothing would force her, to set a foot into Malfoy Manor again, not if there was a way around it at least.

Dumbledore, on the other hand, was silent since their visit to the castle and Hermione already started to ask herself if he had maybe forgotten her request to help them, as one day suddenly appeared his phoenix Fawkes in front of her in the Prewett's library. She had just been pouring over a thick tome on the family history of various important wizarding families, as the air next to her suddenly burst into flames and the majestic bird appeared with a high piercing cry. Hermione stared at it with wide eyes.

"Oh hello Fawkes," she greeted the phoenix with a startled voice, just as her eyes fell on the rolled parchment in the bird's beak. "Does the Headmaster send you with a message for me?"

Fawkes nodded and made a cooing noise, before dropping the scroll into her lap.

"Thank you for delivering this. I've been waiting for a note for him quite impatiently." The phoenix cooed again and Hermione assumed that he kind of gave her an answer. She smiled kindly at him, but before she could say something else, the majestic bird bobbed its head and disappeared in a ball of flames. Hermione stared at the spot in the air for a short while longer, before she finally grabbed the sealed scroll in her lap and opened it. There was only a single address written in the middle of it, but Hermione's mouth turned into a victorious smile. It looked like it was finally time for them, to collect the next Horcrux.

16th of June 1981

The Gaunt Shack was the ancestral home of the Gaunt family, located in the woods just outside the village of Little Hangleton. Hermione had known of its existence through Harry's stories, but further, than that the ring containing the Resurrection Stone was hidden there, she had no idea what to expect. But she was prepared for security measures of the worst sort, as the necklace in the cave had been protected quite heavily as well. As she had no idea what kind of traps or other danger lay ahead of them, she couldn't help but be nervous when she, Fabian and Gideon apparated into the village the next day.

"I have no idea, what traps there might be ahead of us," she whispered towards them urgently.

"We know Hermione," Fabian said soothingly and put a hand on her shoulder. "You already told us. Don't worry, we are no slouches and if we really can't get any further, we'll just come back another time after we have a solution to whatever problem might be ahead of us."

Hermione nodded with a grimace, but she couldn't help the uneasy feeling that had settled in her stomach. Maybe it was because they had gotten away too lightly so far, but Hermione couldn't help but feel, that serious danger lay ahead of them. But it wasn't like they had any choice in that matter. They had to get to the shack and get the Horcrux and just deal with whatever Voldemort put in front of them.

"Alright, let's do this then," Hermione said and straightened her back. And with her wand readily in hand, she started to march towards the forest. They walked in silence for several minutes until they reached the first trees of the forest. There Hermione halted at the tree line and peeked ahead. There was no danger in sight, but she knew that this was meaningless as there were dozens of invisible traps Voldemort could have placed on their path.

"Do you have a way of detecting wards or magical traps ahead of us?" she whispered and the twins nodded silently. Immediately the two of them started casting and after a moment of waiting, they finally started to set a foot into the forest. Hermione instantly felt the temperature drop and just a moment later she could hear Bellatrix voice interrogating her within her head. He gasped. "Dementors," she warned and without waiting for the twin's reaction she cast her Patronus. The little otter leaped happily from her wand and started circling the three of them while swimming through the air on his back. The effect was noticeable right away as the coldness and the voices in her head immediately vanished.

A moment later Hermione's otter was joined by a Fennec from Fabian's wand and Gideon's Patronus which was a little Arctic Fox. The two light animals bounced excitedly through the air before they started sniffing the air and circled them with their ears raised in attention. Hermione looked at the cute little fellows with an adoring smile before she looked at their friends seriously. "That was too easy. The Dementors are probably here to scare away the muggles. But I'm sure that there is more ahead of us. Could you continue casting detection spells, while I keep up my Patronus? This way we hopefully won't be surprised by something."

Fabian and Gideon nodded in silent agreement and immediately started casting again, which made their Patronusses dissolve into white mist again. They crept through the forest with measured steps but nothing happened for almost ten minutes. Then the Prewetts suddenly paused in front of her and Gideon raised his finger to get her attention.

"There's something here," he whispered while his twin started to cast several to Hermione unknown spells. She waited patiently next to him and studied their surroundings with squinted eyes.

"This should be safe to pass," Fabian exclaimed quietly after a while and looked at the area in front of them with furrowed brows. "As far as I get this, that ward will cause some pretty nasty hallucinations, probably also lots of pain. But it should be safe to pass, even though it will be doubtlessly very unpleasant."

Gideon looked at his brother for a long moment, before he started casting some spells on his own. "Yeah, I kind of see the same. I suggest one of us goes ahead and plays guinea pig, while the other two wait here. And no Hermione, you're not going first."

Fabian nodded resolutely and for a moment the two redheads just stared at each other silently.

"I'm going," Fabian finally announced and without waiting for a reply he gripped his wand tightly and went ahead. He managed three steps before a pained groan escaped his lips and he started to clutch his head. "Gah, this hurts," he gasped and for a moment it looked like his knees were about to buckle but then he made another step and then another one. It was almost too much for her to watch, as his pain seemed to increase with every step and after his seventh step he seemed to be constantly moaning in pain.

"Fabian," she whispered in horror. "Don't go any further."

But he didn't seem to have heard her, as he made another two steps before he collapsed on the ground with a loud gasp. Hermione already wanted to rush to him, but Gideon held her back with a firm grip on her arm. "He's alright, he made it through," he reassured her and when Hermione looked at his brother to assure herself that he was right, she could see the relieved smile forming on Fabian's face. Finally, he pulled himself up with a tired groan, before saying: "Okay, I guess it's safe for you to pass. But be prepared for the worst pain of your life. It hurts like hell."

Hermione sighed resignedly and straightened her back. But before she could even make her first step, she felt Gideon's hand taking hers.

"Let's do this together," he said and looked at her with warm blue eyes.

"Alright, together," she agreed and smiled back. She gripped his hand tightly and nodded, then she made the first step. The pain was instant, but Hermione just squinted her eyes and moved on. It was almost as bad as being under the Cruciatus again, but compared to that particular experience, she still kept control about her limbs and was able to move on. Still, the pain was almost too much and with every step she took, she kept clutching Gideon's hand harder until she finally stumbled towards Fabian with a last determined step and landed in his arms.

"Merlin, I hope we can apparate on our way out," Gideon murmured behind her and groaned. "Because I don't fancy doing that again."

Fabian grunted in acknowledgment before letting go of Hermione. She immediately regained her posture again and looked around. And there, behind the next set of trees, she could see something that looked like an old shack. "We're almost there," she murmured and raised her wand. The twins nodded cautiously and Fabian was just about to cast another set of detection charms when the skin on Hermione's neck suddenly started to prickle. Without even thinking about it, she cast a strong shield around the three of them and it was just in time, to see a blue spell bounce from it to their left. Gideon cursed, before pulling up a shield on his own and it was just in time because the next curses were already coming. Hermione had no time to even think what was happening, but her reflexes from the war kicked in and she started casting. Harry had trained her well and even though she refused to use lethal spells, the ones she knew were efficient on their own. Two stunners and a silencing spell left her wand in rapid succession but they were skilfully blocked by the masked figures that stepped towards them from behind the trees. It were five of them and Hermione could have sworn, that the curly black hair belonged to no other than to Bellatrix Lestrange. Why was it always her?

"We're outnumbered," Fabian stated calmly and flanked her left side. He threw curse after curse towards their attackers, while his brother was guarding their backs.

"Doesn't matter," Gideon replied coolly, before casting another strong shield for them. "We're a team, we trust each other. They're just a bunch of self-centered arseholes."

Fabian grunted in agreeance while throwing back a bunch of other curses. "Can you shield us for a moment, Hermione? Gideon and I will try something. It will only be for a minute, at most."

She nodded and without saying another word, she cast the strongest shield she was capable of and started to feed it with her magic to keep it up through the attacks that kept coming towards them. Fabian and his brother immediately dropped their shields and started to cast on their own. They worked like a well-oiled machine and Hermione could see their spells layering around each other before they melted into strong wards that protected the area around them with some sort of blue shimmering dome. None of the spells directed towards them were able to come through the barrier they had just created and Hermione saw this as her cue to lower her shield.

"That's brilliant," she mumbled and cast a number of offensive spells and promptly one of them hit a cloaked figure in the torso that dropped to the ground at once. It made a big difference to not worry about shielding yourself and just be able to cast. "How long will it last?"

"About five minutes, not longer. But there will be a warning before it breaks down," Fabian replied and took out another Death Eater himself. "Now we're equal," he said and grinned.

"They must not get away, none of them. I don't know why they're here but Voldemort mustn't know that we are looking for his Horcruxes. Otherwise, we're finished," Hermione said urgently and the two of them nodded.

"Let's concentrate on the one in the middle than at first. We'll take them out one by one, as long as the wards hold," Fabian murmured and threw a green light bolt towards the appointed enemy. The strategy worked perfectly, as the Death Eaters confronting them dropped to the ground one by one until only one of them was left. That was, unfortunately, the moment, when the wards around them started breaking down.

"Well, well, I see you little redheads love to play," Bellatrix's voice taunted them just as the witch ripped the Death Eater mask from her face. She was much younger than Hermione had ever seen her, but the madness had already taken hold of her and blurred her once pretty features to something that looked ugly and dangerous. "Shall we play like big wizards and witches, now that those idiots are finally out of the way?" Bellatrix didn't really wait for an answer of them though before she cast the first curse. Hermione automatically cast a shield, but the Cruciatus Curse went right through it and hit Fabian squarely in the chest. He crumpled on the floor next to her, where he immediately started screaming and convulsing in agony. Just a moment later Gideon who was standing at her other side, dropped on his knees as well and started to moan in pain. But the sound was drowned by Bellatrix mad cackling in front of her.

"Stop!" Hermione pleaded and tried attacking her on her own. But the black-haired witch simply ended the curse and skilfully blocked her attack with a simple shield.

"You see? That is the problem with magical twins. If you have one, you've got both." But before one of the twins could even move a finger, strong thorned tendrils shot out of the ground and wound themselves around their arms and legs. Hermione could see their skin breaking under the rough admission and blood ooze from the fresh wounds. She cursed inwardly.

"Now to you little girl," the madwoman in front of her said in a dangerous tone. "Who are you?"

But Hermione ignored her question and shot a stunner towards her instead. Bellatrix blocked it with a lazy flick of her wrist. "Ah I see, you want me to break you first? Or do you prefer if I break your little redheads and let you watch?" Bellatrix said almost playfully and studied her with a curious expression and just at that moment the tendrils that had captured her twins started pulling at their limbs. Gideon moaned in pain.

Hermione did her best to ignore Bellatrix's question and cast another set of offensive spells. The cutting curse hit her enemy squarely in the chest, but the woman didn't even flinch, even though her dress was ripped open and blood started oozing through the black fabric. But Bellatrix lips just curled into an amused grin and she cast another Cruciatus that was aimed at her this time. Hermione gasped from the impact of it and for a moment her knees wanted to buckle, but then she realized that the pain wasn't nearly as bad, as she remembered it. It definitely hurt and felt like she was being badly burned but Hermione was still able to remain upright with clenched teeth. But Merlin, she needed to end this, or they were all dead rather sooner than later. As soon as Bellatrix got tired of playing with them or nagging her for answers, she'd simply kill them or torture them to insanity. And Hermione wouldn't let that happen.

She used the moment of surprise to cast an Expelliarmus, followed by a full-body bind and with no small amount of satisfaction she saw both curses hit their target with a precision that was surprising considering the amount of pain she was in. But she didn't dwell on it and quickly summoned the witch's wand before she released her twins from their horrible restraints.

"Are you alright?" she asked while she rushed to their side and looked at them with concerned eyes. The wounds on their limbs were bad still oozed blood through their robes, but Fabian and Gideon just nodded grimly towards her, before they pulled themselves up with a groan.

"A little shaken," Gideon admitted weakly and stumbled towards her with his face scrunched in pain. She held him back with her hand.

"Wait," she mumbled and handed him a vial of blood replenisher, before handing out another one to his twin. "Here, take this. It's not much but hopefully, it's enough until we can get you help." They nodded their thanks and took the potions without hesitation. Immediately the colour rose back into their pale skin.

"Gah, that's better," Fabian sighed next to her and squeezed her hand. "Thanks for saving us – _again_." Hermione smiled back at him shakily, before she straightened her back and stepped next to Bellatrix, who was staring up at her with wide, hateful eyes.

"Well Mrs. Lestrange," Hermione said in a hard voice as she crouched down next to her. "You found yourself the wrong witch to play. Your dirty little spells are not working on me. Pity you won't remember that fact or even get the chance to try them ever again." With that, she raised her wand in a calculated move and said: "Obliviate." Immediately the agitated spark in the witch's eyes disappeared and what was left was only a dull glimmer.

"Alright, now the other ones," Hermione said determinedly and got up from the ground.

"What are we going to do with them?" Gideon asked her in a tired and skeptical voice. "We can't let them return to their master, even though they might not remember anything that occurred in this forest. "The odds are already bad enough as it is."

She nodded darkly. "No, but we can send them to the ministry after we cut off their sleeves and wrapped them into a nice little present for the Aurors to find."

"Alright," Fabian agreed solemnly next to her. "And then let's get this damned Horcrux. I can't wait to fall into my bed after a long hot shower."


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29: Realisations

2nd of October 1999

Hermione awoke with a gasp and after a moment of confusion, she realized that she was in her bed at the Prewett's house. Her heart was still beating heavily in her chest from her recently regained memory. Seeing Bellatrix torture Fabian and Gideon in front of her eyes was almost worse like being tortured herself. This feeling of being unable to help them while they were writhing before her on the ground had been almost too much for Hermione and she knew that back then she had almost done something unforgivable to Bellatrix after she had taken her down.

Hermione tried to calm her breathing while thinking about everything she had learned. She still didn't know if they had been able to get the Horcrux that night or how Fabian and Gideon had been able to heal from their injuries. They obviously had healed, or otherwise, they wouldn't be here with her now, but not knowing what exactly happened to them afterwards was still driving her up the wall. She had to know, had to see with her own eyes that the two of them were alright or if there were any scars left from their encounter with the crazy Black sister. However, it was the middle of the night and the two of them were most likely fast asleep and there was no reason this couldn't wait until morning, right? She sighed. Shewanted to see them anyway because she was sure that she wouldn't be able to fall back asleep without knowing they were alright.

The decision was made within the next two minutes. It was totally irrational for her to seek them out, but as her heart simply _would not calm down_, she felt like she had no choice. And so she stepped onto the cold wooden floor and padded into the hallway on her bare feet. She couldn't remember ever having been to one of their rooms before but her feet seemed to know the way anyway. It didn't take long for her to reach the simple wooden door that was to the right side of her room across the hallway and after a moment of hesitation, she decided to forgo a knock and simply step inside. The room ahead of her was completely covered in darkness, but when she squinted her eyes she could see the silhouette of a huge bed below the window.

Did she really want to do this, she asked herself again before she decided to trust the feeling in her belly and stepped closer. Hermione didn't even make it halfway across the room, before the body on the bed started turning and a voice asked groggily: "Hermione? Is that you?" It was Gideon, she realized and nodded.

"Yeah, it's me. Could I… could I maybe crawl into your bed for a while?" Gideon pulled himself up and looked at her with worried eyes.

"Sure, come here," he said and made room for her in the bed. "Did you have a nightmare?"

Hermione climbed into his bed with her heart still beating violently in her chest. "No, it's a memory that just came back to me. We were in Little Hangleton and tried to get the ring…" she explained while Gideon studied her with big concerned eyes. "I just wanted to make sure you're alright and…"

But she was interrupted by his finger on her lips. "Hush. There's no need for explaining this any further because it's totally understandable. Do you want me to get Fabian, too?"

She nodded with a lump in her throat. "If it's alright with you? Do you think he will mind?"

Gideon's hand moved to her cheek and stroked it affectionately. "Of course it's okay with him," he assured her with a smile. "Let's lay back down. He'll be here in a second."

Hermione looked at him with wide eyes. "You've already called him?"

"' course he has, sunshine. We're magical twins," Fabian's voice answered her from the door before the man himself padded into the room towards the bed. "Come you two, make a bit room for me. This house is freezing cold at night." Just like that he climbed into bed with them and Hermione found herself sandwiched between her twins a moment later. She sighed happily.

"Thanks for letting me stay with you for a bit," she said and shyly moved closer to Gideon, who was lying behind her.

"Anytime Hermione," Gideon assured her and pulled her close. "It's only understandable after you regained that particular memory. It was a rough day after all."

Fabian hummed in agreement and turned onto his back. Hermione looked at him uncertainly for a moment, but finally, she found her courage and bedded her head on his shoulder. Gideon adjusted his position behind her accordingly and settled against her back again. "How much do you remember?" he asked lazily and started tracing the skin of her arm with his finger.

"Only until after we captured and obliviated Bellatrix," she confessed and looked at Fabian with huge eyes. "You were okay afterwards, right?"

He sighed tiredly. "More or less, yeah. The day was a bit rough on us, but there were no long-lasting effects if that's what you're asking."

Hermione nodded uncertainly. "What about scars?" she asked and automatically her eyes drifted towards Gideon's hand on her arm. He seemed to sense her intention, as he lifted it in front of her face patiently, to let her explore the smooth skin around his wrist. There was not a single mark there and Hermione couldn't help but sigh in relief.

"There's nothing," she whispered and felt Gideon behind her nod against her back.

Fabian smiled. "No, there's not a single reminder of our little adventure. Not, that I mind."

Hermione nodded silently and finally she could feel her heartbeat calm down again. But she was still far from being able to fall back asleep again. "Could you tell me what happened afterwards? Did we manage to get the Horcrux that day? Or did we have to come back another time?"

"No, we went to get it right after we caught our breaths," Gideon answered her calmly while his hand sneaked back down and came to rest around her waist. " You pointed out, that we didn't know why those Death Eaters had been waiting for us and that it was better for us to get the Horcrux now when it hopefully still was in its original hiding place."

That was only logical, she assumed, but her head already started spinning with the new information. Before she could say something in return, though, Fabian continued with the story. "I still don't know how Voldemort managed it, but he booby-trapped the whole shack. Until then we assumed the guy simply hated muggles and wanted to enslave them or something equally bad, but obviously, he wasn't as narrow-minded as he made everybody believe. For a normal pureblooded wizard, the place would have been a death trap, but luckily we are far from ordinary and same with you." He smiled at her affectionately.

"But I am not experienced with disarming bombs and I imagine neither are you," she said and looked at him with wide eyes, but the redhead in front of her simply smiled back at her boyishly.

"No, but luckily I am an Animagus and quite a skilled flier if I say so myself. I didn't even touch the ground once."

Hermione looked at him with a happy smile. "Merlin, did I ever tell you how brilliant you are? And I mean both of you. I couldn't have wished for better friends or allies for that matter. Thank you for being at my side, whenever I've needed you." Out of an impulse, she pulled him into a firm embrace and buried her head on his chest. It felt glorious and safe and for a moment she really didn't want to let go, but then she remembered Gideon behind her and turned around to pull him into her arms, too. For a moment she could feel him stiffen in her arms and as she looked up at him in surprise, their eyes locked. And suddenly her heart was dancing wildly in her chest again, while the lump was back in her throat. But Hermione was sure Gideon felt almost the same, as he was staring at her with wide eyes. For a moment she even thought that his eyes moved down to her lips and she half expected that he would kiss her, but then something shifted behind his eyes and he simply pulled her into a warm hug.

"Let's try to get back to sleep, shall we?" he murmured into her hair and held her close. "I wouldn't be surprised if those missing memories come back to you as soon as you fall back asleep, we could at least try to get a bit more rest."

Hermione nodded mutely and in a matter of seconds, she found herself on Gideon's shoulder now, while Fabian spooned her from behind. "I'm not even sure if I can fall back asleep now," she confessed shyly as the man in front of her smiled.

"Then just close your eyes for a bit. And don't worry, if you're haunted by another memory or nightmare we're right at your side."

Fabian hummed in agreement again and leaned his head against her back. Hermione did as she was told and forced herself to close her eyes. For a while sleep simply would not come, as her thoughts kept turning in cycles analysing everything she had learned in the last fewhours. When she suddenly felt Gideon's free hand move and a moment later his fingers buried themselves in her hair, where they started kneading her skin in soothing circles,Hermione sighed in pleasure and instantly felt her body relax. It didn't even take ten minutes until she was fast asleep.

16th of June 1981

Hermione's first instinct after they had finally made it home and sent a Patronus to the ministry with the location of the trapped Death Eaters was to run to Severus and ask him for help. Fabian and Gideon were barely able to stand any longer and after they had climbed up the stairs at their house together, Hermione had anxiously helped them into Fabian's room and into his bed. There she had vanished their robes and trousers with a flick of her wand to be able to better access the damage to their bodies. Except for the bloody marks around their ankles and wrists, there was not much for her to find though and so she looked at them with eyes full of uncertainty.

"How much pain are you in?" she asked them before she conjured a soft blanket for each of them. Their bodies were already starting to shake from muscle spasms and she was barely able to watch without breaking out into tears. Had it been as bad for her after being tortured by the evil witch? Her time after Malfoy Manor was still very foggy in her mind, but she remembered, that it had been bad and went on for days. She had no idea how to take care of them, Merlin!

"I'll get some help," she promised as no answer came from them and the shaking in their limbs got worse. Shouldn't those spasms have come immediately after the exposure to the curse? Or had the twins simply repressed them to not make her worry? Where should she go and ask for help? To Severus? He would have been the logical choice as he was their friend and had experience with healing and probably also the Cruciatus. But there was the tiny little fact that those Death Eaters seemed to have waited for them, which led to the conclusion that somebody must have betrayed them. Could she really be sure that it was not him? She trusted Severus Snape, but mostly because she had known his other self. If she was honest with herself, she barely knew this new version of him. Yes, he had helped her before, but he still didn't deliver the Horcrux to them and kept asking for more time. Was it because he didn't plan to bring it to them at all? Had he only played nice and secretly betrayed them? No, it couldn't be. Severus had made an unbreakable vow to her and had sworn not to betray them and their secrets. This only left one other person who knew of their plan to visit the Gaunt's family home. It couldn't be, she told herself, because if what she feared was true, they had a serious problem. But it didn't matter now, as she first had to take care of her wounded friends.

Hermione purposefully strode out of the room and dashed into the living room. There she took a pinch of floo powder and stepped into the flames. "Spinner's End!" she shouted and within the blink of an eye,, she was gone.

"They'll be alright Hermione, don't worry," Severus assured her after administering a hand full of potions to each of the twins. "Bellatrix is a very strong caster and her curses hurt like hell, but from what you describe they weren't under the Cruciatus for a very long time. Believe me, I've had worse."

She nodded solemnly. "Yeah, me too," she said. "That's why I don't understand why it affects them so much now. They were fine directly afterwards." Without realizing what she was doing, she started pulling at her hair.

"Please Hermione, try to stay calm. You're not helping when you start panicking here," her friend said, before putting a calming hand on her shoulder. She sighed in resignation.

"You're right of course, it's just that it is basically my fault. I told them to follow me to this godforsaken place," Hermione said with a sniff, but when she looked up Severus studied her with a hard expression.

"And it's good you did. Otherwise, you'd most likely be dead now. You're the person we must not lose in this war. The rest of us are… disposable."

"You are _not_," she replied urgently and pulled him into a desperate hug. For a moment he stiffened against her before he put his arms around her with a sigh.

"It honours you that you think like that. Most great wizards are mere chess players that are sending people into their deaths, without having too much trouble to look into the mirror afterwards." With that, he let go of her, before sitting down at a chair next to the bed. "Many people follow these leaders, hell even I once did, but not anymore, never again. You on the other hand…" Severus looked at her with dark solemn eyes. "You care about us, I can see it in your eyes. You picked me up from the ground and offered me _everything_ and only wanted my loyalty and friendship."

She looked at him with a slightly panicked expression. What the hell was he trying to tell her? "Severus, you know that's not true. I did ask something of you, still am actually. I need your help and I am glad that you are offering it to us."

Her friend smiled. "See? And that's the difference. This is why people love you, why _I _love you." Hermione's eyes widened, but before she could say something in return, he silenced her with his hand. "_No Hermione_, let me get this out, _please_. I need to say this, just once. You're my friend Hermione, my _only_ friend but you're also so much more: you're hope. I admire your dedication, your fearlessness and your intellect. Don't look at me like that! You're bright as the sun and your light will shine for ages after you're long gone." She swallowed heavily because at the moment she simply didn't know what to say. But she didn't have to, because Severus was far from finished. "I know what you are doing Hermione, even if you never told me. I can see it in your eyes. You don't plan to make it out alive at the other end of the war, do you?"

She cast a hasty look towards the twins, but both of them were in deep sleep on the bed. And so she finally settled her eyes on Severus and sighed sadly. "I… something is happening to me I believe. I can't say for sure, but Dumbledore strongly hinted, that every change that I make to the timeline has a price for me. Believe me, I'll try to stay alive, but I think I might not be able to."

He nodded and looked at her with eyes that were full of understanding. "Yeah, but that's just it. You are putting yourself in the line of danger, not the others. And you'll blame yourself to no end if something happens to them anyway. But you don't have to, Hermione, because we are following you willingly. I am prepared to die for you Hermione, because I love you and I know they do, too." With that, he took her hand into his and started to brush his thumb against her knuckles. "Don't look at me like that, Hermione. There's no reason for you to panic here. I know that I don't have a chance with you because I know that there's already someone else. And it's not like I love you in _that_ way anyway. I could if I'd allow it, but I don't. My heart is still too broken for that kind of love Hermione, but I am sure it will heal with time. The kind of love I have for you does not require an answer or anything you are not willing to give me. It's totally platonic but that doesn't make it any less, it makes it _more_." He looked at her with a deep sigh. "Merlin, did this even make any sense for you? Because you look like you're about to faint."

For a long moment, she simply stared at him, before she felt the tears springing into her eyes. Then she threw herself at him and pulled him into another desperate hug. Hermione didn't let go of him for a very long while and simply cried into his shoulder, while her body was wracked with heavy sobs. She wasn't even totally sure why she was crying in the first place, but the tears kept coming and coming until she was totally limp in his arms. But Severus held her patiently and stroked her back.

"Hush, it's alright. I didn't want to make you cry with this."

She sniffed before she looked into his dark vulnerable eyes. "This was the most wonderful declaration of love that anybody ever said to me and probably will ever say," she said and hugged him again. "Your words mean the _world_ to me and I can only say: I love you too Severus, just not in _that_ way." She smiled tearfully. "You've always been there for me when I needed you, even though you were a grumpy bastard back then that didn't care for me. You know all my secrets, you keep them safe and you love me anyway. I can say the same about you in return. I'll gladly have you by my side when the time comes - _if_ it comes. And I'll gladly take every blow that is intended for you in the hope to spare you from what might come."

He nodded and when their eyes locked something like a deep understanding passed between them. "You're not alone in this Hermione and neither am I. Whatever happens in the future, and I am sure it will happen soon, know that I love you and that you can trust me, completely. And in case I am not making it out alive of this conflict, know, that I died happily for your cause."

She nodded and felt the tears streaming down her face. But she didn't care, because she knew, that Severus understood.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30: Truths and lies

2nd of October 1999

When Hermione awoke again, she felt that her face was wet with tears. The most recent memory had been intense and not what she had expected at all, but she was still glad to have it back. Hermione had always felt that her friendship with Severus was special, yet she had never understood how special it really was. Now that she knew, she just wanted to pull him into a long teary hug that was long overdue and she promised herself to do just that when she finally saw him later that day.

"Good morning sunshine," Fabian mumbled into her hair and Hermione could hear from his voice that he was smiling. "Sleep well?"

She nodded carefully in the hope to not wake his twin but a moment later Gideon already looked at her with sparkling blue eyes and smiled.

"Well, I definitely wasn't awake but I don't feel well-rested either. I had another flashback just like you predicted and those always leave me drained and tired."

Gideon nodded in sympathy. "Do you want to stay a bit longer in bed then? Or do you prefer drowning your tiredness with coffee?"

Hermione smiled. "Coffee will have to do because I'm pretty sure I won't be able to fall back asleep again."

Gideon snorted. "That's what you told me last night to and then you were out like a light."

She chuckled. "Yeah, you do have pretty skilled fingers," she admitted before she realized what she just said and a blush crept on her cheeks. Gideon just smiled kindly at her.

"I was happy to help," he said and squeezed her hand. "now let's get up. I fancy a coffee myself."

Fabian snorted behind her. "You _always_ fancy a coffee, Brother."

Gideon laughed before he leapt out of bed with a smile. "You say that like it is a bad thing."

Hermione entered Severus home at Spinner's End with nervousness that felt totally unreasonable yet was still undeniably there. His words from her memory still rang in her ears and resonated in her heart. They made her feel loved in a way that she had never experienced before. And it was totally blowing her mind.

"Severus? Are you at home?" she called uncertainly into the house, just as she closed the front door behind her and a moment later she could hear him answer from the living room. He was reading a book, Hermione found, as she stood in the door and watched his relaxed form stretched out on the couch and she couldn't help the affectionate smile that started to form on her lips.

"You're staring," Severus said in a totally unfazed tone before he looked at her with curiously raised eyebrows.

"Oh, sorry," she said sheepishly and stepped closer. "I just…" she licked her lips awkwardly "Well, I wanted to let you know…"

"Yes?" he looked at her expectantly.

Hermione sighed before she finally found the courage to look into his black, warm eyes. "I remember now, Severus. I wanted to let you know, that I still love you … in a totally platonic and absolutely harmless way of course. Damn, I feel like your words sounded much better, but I hope you still know what I wanted to say."

It was obvious that he did because suddenly he was standing right in front of her and pulled her into his arms. "I have a very strong feeling that I do," he said and kissed her hair. "And I want you to know that my words from back then are still true."

She smiled happily into his chest. "I'm glad because I just found you again."

"And you're not getting rid of me anytime soon," he said and gently took her by her shoulders. "Because there's something I want to ask you."

Hermione looked up at him with wide eyes. "Alright? Ask then."

Severus smiled. "Charity's pregnant and I'd like you to be godmother. Would you do us the honour of accepting that role and join our little family?"

For a moment she just stared at him in shock, before the tears started to flood her eyes again. "Are you serious? You're going to be a dad?"

He looked at her with an almost shy smile. "Is that so hard to believe?"

"Yes! I mean no, it not hard to believe at all. And yes, I'd love to be a godmother," she said excitedly and pulled him into another hug. "God, do you have any idea how much that means to me? You've just given me something I thought I'd never have again. You've given me a family."

Her friend looked at her with a kind smile and shook his head. "No silly girl, you _always_ had a family here. I just made it official."

17th of June 1981

Hermione stayed at the twin's bedside for the rest of the day and the whole night and Severus was a constant, if silent, presence at her side. She was so grateful for him being at her side, even though their conversation had still left her somewhat shaken. He was the bit of calming presence and reassurance that she needed, to know that things would be alright again - that her twins would in fact be fine. Until now she hadn't even realized, that she called them _her twins_ in her head, but she did. She wasn't even sure how it happened, or when, just that it was an indisputable truth now. And the realization confused her to no end. Until now she had always considered herself _Ron's girl_, but when she was honest with herself she somehow knew, that she would never see her boyfriend again. It wasn't only that her heart had attached itself to this timeline and its inhabitants, but she could feel that something was happening to her. And it wasn't good. She hadn't lied when she told Severus, that she didn't expect to survive the war, because she didn't. There was no Harry, no prophesied one to end the Dark Lord this time around and even if they managed to get a hold on all the Horcruxes, their creator was still very much alive. The only one that could match him in power and probably kill him in this timeline, was Dumbledore, but Hermione wasn't sure if they could trust the wizard any longer. That revelation left her with an almost unsolvable problem and the realisation that someone would have to carry the torch for the side of the light and that being this person would most likely paint a huge target onto her back.

"I'm going downstairs and making us some coffee," she finally announced as she realized, that she had constantly been nodding off at Severus' side. "How do you like yours?"

"Just black with no extras," her friend announced while keeping his eyes fixed on the bed. "Make it as strong as you like, the stronger the better actually."

Hermione nodded. "Alright, I'll be back in a bit." And with that, she left the room. The kitchen downstairs felt empty without the twins. It wasn't the first time she was alone in the room, by no means, but the owners of the house had always somehow been available. Knowing that both of them were out of order upstairs in bed, felt wrong and in a way she suddenly felt like an intruding stranger in their house. She ignored the feeling as best as she could and set herself to work. But she hadn't even managed to set up the kettle with water, as there was suddenly a loud knocking at the front door. Hermione tensed. Usually, the twins were the ones welcoming visitors into their home as they always were alerted through their wards. Now it fell to her to open the door, but she would do so with caution. These were dangerous times after all.

"Who's there?" she asked from the inside, as soon as she reached the front door.

There was a short pause. "It's Remus Lupin," came the answer in a known voice. But Hermione knew she had to be careful anyway.

"What sentence does one have to say to activate the Marauder's map?" she asked warily and waited. Again there was a pause, but finally, the voice answered: "I solemnly swear I am up to no good."

She sighed in relief and finally opened the door. On the other side, there was Lupin, looking at her with a raised eyebrow. "Do I even want to know?" he asked and looked at her inquiringly.

Hermione shook her head with a crooked smile. "I had to check if it's really you, Mr Lupin. These are dangerous times."

Her visitor nodded and stepped inside. "I guess you're right," he admitted with a tired sigh. Hermione gazed at him interestedly. He looked even more tired and gaunt than he had during their last meeting. She could have sworn that he had lost some more weight and his skin looked sickly and almost transparent. But the worst was the haunted look in his eyes. "What can I do for you, Mr Lupin?" she finally asked him in a polite tone. "Or did you want to see the Prewetts? If that is the case, I will have to disappoint you, they are currently... indisposed."

The other man looked at her with an unreadable expression. "No, actually I wanted to talk to you. It's about Peter."

She nodded tiredly. "Alright. Mind if you join me in the kitchen? I was just about to make some coffee and something to eat." She hadn't planned the latter at all, but Remus didn't have to know this. Her former friend looked like he could use something to eat and as Hermione was sure he would be too proud to directly ask for something, she'd discreetly invite him.

She didn't even wait for his answer and simply marched back into the kitchen and after a moment of hesitation, Remus followed her with measured steps. "So what exactly did you want to talk about?" Hermione finally asked after she had put the kettle on. Remus had found himself a place on a chair, but he held himself stiffly and looked like he was about to bolt from the room. But he still stared at her with eyes full of determination.

"I wanted to ask you if you know where Peter is," he said in a mostly calm voice. "The others do have their theories, but I have the impression, that there is something else behind his disappearance. It is kind of strange, you know? You appear on my doorstep and tell me he's a traitor, you're _convinced_ he is, even though I tell you otherwise. And not long after that he just disappears? Too curious, isn't it?" He looked at her with inquiring amber eyes and for a moment Hermione could feel the hairs on her arms rise in alarm. But she willed herself to stay calm.

"You think I abducted him, don't you?" she asked and he nodded darkly. Hermione sighed.

"Well, I didn't," she said matter of factly, which was true. She hadn't put a finger on the traitorous rat. "As Sirius might have told you I was quite incapable of doing so at the time it happened. He was even there when I got injured."

Remus nodded darkly. "Yeah, I know. But I still had to make sure of it myself. Peter is my _friend_ Miss Granger. I have to do anything I can to find him, I owe him that much. And that's why I ask you directly now: Do you know where Peter Pettigrew is?" He locked his eyes with her and looked at her with the most serious expression.

Hermione sighed. "No, I don't know where he is. I'm sorry Mr Lupin." It was a lie, a _big fat lie_. But it was necessary and so she delivered it without the slightest hesitation.

"Alright," her guest said with a nod. "But I had to try, I hope you understand. I'm sure you'd do the same for your friends."

That and more, Hermione thought but aloud she said: "Of course. Would you like to stay for some coffee or a bite to eat?"

"No thank you," he replied with sagged shoulders. "But thanks for offering anyway. You are very kind."

Hermione looked at him with a smile, but inwardly her heart clenched at his words. _It is for the best_, she told herself, while she escorted him back to the door. She hoped that he would forgive her one day but she knew, that he might very well not.

"I am amazed by your ability to lie," Severus said casually as soon as Hermione entered the twin's bedchamber. "And you're sure you were not a Slytherin?"

"Pretty sure," she said in a clipped tone and handed him his mug. "And it's not like I had much of a choice anyway."

Her friend looked at her with a knowing smile. "Well, there was a choice. A true Gryffindor would probably have told him and braced the consequences, which would have been brave but stupid nonetheless. A Slytherin on the other hand…"

Hermione shook her head with a sigh. "You're thinking too much in categories. Not all Gryffindors are stupid and not all Slytherins are evil. And I can be sneaky or even tell a lie when it is necessary. Did you know I obliviated my own parents in my old timeline to protect them from the war? It was the hardest decision of my life…"

Severus nodded and sipped on his coffee. "I didn't know. But I can imagine how difficult it was. Both of my parents are dead, but I imagine it still wouldn't have been as difficult for me, as it was for you. We… I didn't have a very nice childhood."

He looked at her with sad eyes and Hermione felt her heart go out for him. "I'm sorry Severus. As it is, neither of us seems to have a family, we could be family to each other if you'd like."

Her friend smiled shyly at her. "I'd like that. I'd like that very much."

It wasn't long afterwards that Severus finally left them with the assurance, that it wouldn't be long until the twins woke up. Hermione could see the signs herself, as their bodies started moving more and more on the bed and their eyelids started to flutter. She couldn't help but feel a bit nervous and impatient as she waited for them to finally open their eyes. Fabian was the first one to wake up and he looked at her with sleep clouded eyes, his brother followingimmediately after. It was like the two of them were even somehow linked in sleep, but maybe it was just a coincidence.

"Hello," she said and looked at them with a nervous smile on her lips. "How are you?"

Fabian looked at her for a long moment, before he said in a raspy voice: "Better. I can't remember much after we came back from the shack though, the pain…"

Hermione nodded understandingly. "Yeah, you collapsed as soon as I got you into bed. Severus has been her and helped. He just left some minutes ago."

Gideon nodded grimly. "It's good the guy is so skilled with potions. He's a valuable ally."

"He's a _friend_," Hermione corrected him heatedly and the men on the bed nodded with a mollified expression.

"Of course he is," they assured her solemnly and tried to sit up in their bed. Fabian managed it first, but Gideon followed shortly after with a tired groan.

"Gah, everything still hurts," he complained and rubbed his neck. "Merlin, being tortured by this crazy bitch is high on the list of experiences, I never want to have again."

Hermione nodded solemnly. "Yeah, believe me I know. I… was tortured by Bellatrix Lestrange during the other war. It was… bad."

They looked at her with worried eyes. "That's what those nightmares of yours are about." Fabian suddenly realized and gripped her hand. "Am I right?"

She nodded solemnly. "Yeah, I was tortured for information at Malfoy Manor. She was quite thorough. I still see the place in my nightmares regularly and I never want to set a foot into that place again."

Gideon looked at her with wide, sad eyes. "Merlin Hermione, you never told us. Why didn't you say something?"

She laughed humourlessly. "There never seemed to be the right moment, and anyway it was more than a year ago."

He nodded with a sigh. "Would you… would you mind coming here for a bit?" He patted at the mattress between them. "I really want to hug you, but I'm not quite in the condition to get up just yet."

Hermione blinked at him and could feel her cheeks redden. "You want me to crawl into your bed?" she asked and the two of them nodded with a happy grin.

"It's not like we haven't done this before. I'd like to hold you while having this conversation. Because we will talk about this Hermione, all of us. It's not healthy to bottle these things up," Fabian said and looked at her seriously. Hermione shrugged with a resigned sigh.

"Alright, budge over then," she said and climbed between them before letting herself fall back into the comfortable covers. Fabian followed her actions with his eyes.

"Right, that's better," he said before he took her hand into his. "And now start from the beginning. How did you get into Malfoy Manor in the first place?" he asked while squeezing her hand reassuringly. Hermione took a deep, calming breath. And then she told them.


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31: Confessions

18th of June 1981

Fabian and Gideon were still confined to their beds the following day but Hermione did everything to help them chase away the boredom and repay them for the hours they had spent on her sickbed and made her feel better. She was still relieved as, at the next evening, Molly Weasley announced her visit to her brothers as it gave her the chance to get out of the house for an hour or so. Because there was one thing she very much wanted to do.

She waited for Mrs Weasley in front of the floo and after she had pointed her in the right direction, she excused herself and stepped into the fireplace herself. It was just a moment later until she stumbled into Severus' living room and the man looked at her with inquiring eyes from his sofa, where he had just been reading a book.

"What's wrong now?" he asked but Hermione walked towards him with a solemn expression.

"I want to go and check on my parents," she announced in a calm but serious voice. "And I'd like to have you by my side."

"Alright," he agreed, without uttering a single question and a moment later he had put the book aside and gotten up from the sofa. "Give me five minutes to get changed and then we'll be off."

She nodded gratefully. "Take your time. I'm already glad that you agreed to come."

Severus smiled while shaking his head. "That was out of the question. And now sit down at the sofa for a moment. I'll be right back."

Getting changed meant in Severus' case, transfiguring himself into a blond, totally plain-looking wizard and donning some navy blue robes. The transformation wasn't as good as the number Fabian had done on him, but she was pretty sure that nobody would be able to recognize him at her side. And that was all that mattered.

"Alright, hold on tight Severus. I'll apparate us," Hermione said and offered her arm. "Don't worry, I know the area like the inside of my pockets. No one will see us arriving."

Severus nodded solemnly. "I trust you, Hermione. I'll be right at your side." With that, he took her arm and Hermione whisked them away. It was still light outside when Hermione landed them in her parent's garden shed. It was rarely used in her early childhood, as her mum discovered her love for gardening only some years later. This early in their lives her parents were just about to build up their own dental practice and had all their hands full with their little overexcited daughter. And so Hermione could be sure, that they'd be able to arrive undetected.

"Alright," she said and peeked through the tiny dirty window into the garden. Her parents were already inside and by the look of it, all members of the family were assembled in the kitchen. "Are you any good with disillusionment charms?" she asked and looked at Severus nervously.

"Good enough," her friend answered and a wave of his wand later he disappeared before her eyes and only a slight flickering in the air showed, that he was still in front of her. She nodded with a smile.

"That's definitely good enough. Could you cast the charm on me, too, please? I never had the chance to learn it myself, but if I survive this war…"

"Let's not talk about this right now," he said gently and a muttered spell later, she could feel the coldness of the charm wash over her.

"Brilliant, thank you Severus. Now come. They should be all in the kitchen. Maybe we can peek through the windows. I'd rather avoid going inside."

Her friend grunted something in response and a moment later Hermione saw the door to the shed open. She hadn't even heard him moving but as her friend seemed to be full of surprises, she just shrugged and followed him as silently as possible. Her parent's kitchen was luckily at the ground floor of the building and two of its windows pointed back into the garden. The two of them sneaked into position with ease and it wasn't long until Hermione peaked into the cosy room with wooden cabinets and a red fridge in the corner. Her parents were already sitting at the table and at first Hermione wasn't able to spot herself, but as she searched the room with growing panic, her younger self suddenly appeared on the little high chair at the kitchen table. She blinked and a sinking feeling settled into her stomach.

"Can you see my younger self? She's sitting on the green high chair," she asked Severus with her heart beating heavily in her chest.

"Yeah, she's hard to miss with this mop of curls," he commented dryly and even if she wasn't able to see his face, she could have sworn that a crooked smile graced his lips.

Hermione sighed in relief. "That's good because I can barely see her any longer." And it was true, as the bushy-haired toddler had just disappeared before her eyes again. But her parents acted like nothing was wrong at all. Hermione watched the scene with growing misery. Little Hermione would always reappear after a few minutes but would be gone again not even a minute later. It definitely hadn't been like that the last time she had seen her, so whatever Hermione had done in the last weeks, had made her condition worse.

"Alright, let's go," she said after they had stood silently at the windows for a while and without waiting for Severus' answer, she took Severus' hand and apparated them back into his home. There she collapsed on the floor and stared at the dirty wooden floorboards, while she tried to get her feelings back under control. She only registered Severus' "Finite incantatem" as the feeling of the spell washed over her body again. And a moment later her shaking hands reappeared before her on the floor.

"Hermione?" Severus asked her with obvious worry in his voice. "What's wrong?"

He took a deep calming breath before she forced herself to look up to him. "She is disappearing Severus," she said and looked at him with wide eyes. "I know it doesn't seem to make sense, as obviously no one but me can even see it, but I think I am slowly erasing myself from the timeline."

Severus stared at her mutely but his dark eyes were looking seriously at her. And so Hermione continued.

"The last time I saw her, she was only gone for short periods of time. But today… she was mostly gone already. I don't know why it doesn't affect this body, but I am pretty sure it will be only a matter of time."

He kneeled down in front of her on the floor and slowly put his hand over hers. "Maybe it's just visible for you because it is meant as some kind of warning. All the rest of us can still see her, which means that little Hermione is still here. It's possible, that you and her will disappear at the same time."

She swallowed heavily and felt the tears that rose in her eyes. "That kind of makes sense. I don't know how much longer I have, Severus. How much more can I change, before I disappear altogether? I don't think there's missing much…"

He looked at her with his eyes full of sadness. "But you'll do it anyway? You are going through with this?"

Hermione felt her throat tighten with unshed tears. "I have to. I need to finish this, finish him. There are too many lives depending on this."

Severus nodded before she pulled her into a hug. "Alright. I'll help you. Whatever it takes, we will finish this."

Hermione rest her head against his shoulder, as the first tears started running down her cheeks. "Whatever it takes. Just … please don't forget me, after all is done. I know it might not be possible, as I might have simply never existed, but…"

He shushed her with a finger on her lips. "I will never forget you Hermione Granger. I am an Occlumens and I will hide all my memories of you behind the highest walls and the safest doors in my brain. Don't worry. Even if nobody will remember you, I'm sure that I will."

She nodded against his shoulder. "That's all I ask for. Thank you Severus." And she meant it.

4th of October 1999

Two days and some more regained memories later, Hermione was more confused than ever. It was obvious, that she had been erasing herself in the past. But that meant that she really shouldn't be here at all. So why was she? Little Hermione should no longer exist in this timeline - the girl would have been her age by now - so why was she? Hermione had studied some books on time travel during the last weeks. The topic was simply irresistible for her at the moment and so she studied everything she could get her fingers on. There was a documented number of time travellers before her, that had erased themselves from the timeline, but all of them had completely disappeared and not simply come back 18 years later. So why did she? Hermione was not sure if there was even a way for her to find out what had happened to her, because as far as she knew, her case was unique. It was a good thing of course, as it meant that she was still alive, but it was also frustrating beyond measure.

Fred and George didn't leave her much time to dwell on it though, as they almost visited or invited her every evening. Spending time with her new favourite Weasleys was always exciting as the two of them never seemed to stand still. They always had a story to tell or a memory to show her and more often than not they would drag her out into a cinema or for some muggle sports activity. Hermione was thankful for every bit of distraction they offered. Today they had invited her into their flat and Hermione was looking forward to an evening with a bit less excitement, but she should have guessed, that it wasn't meant to be.

"Hullo Mione," Fred greeted her with a wide smile and a strange glint in his eyes. "George made dinner for us and it's quite eatable if I say so myself." He winked at her, before kissing her on the cheek. Hermione's face reddened. Since she had shown the two of them her memories, these small shows of affection from them were something, they did regularly. Hermione had slowly gotten used to expecting them and didn't stiffen any longer when it happened, but the blush on her cheeks still returned time and time again. Fred and George never commented on it though, but Hermione was sure they must have seen it.

Fred took her by the hand and led her into the kitchen, where the twins had set up the small table with a variety of food, wine and even a candle in the middle. She looked at the setting in puzzlement.

"Is there something to celebrate?" she asked and she saw, that immediately both twins looked at her with wide eyes.

"Not exactly," George said and strolled over from the kitchen counters. He still wore a green apron with little brooms printed all over it and looked at her with almost something like nervousness. "Fred and I wanted to talk to you though and we figured we might as well do it in a nice setting. Sit down."

He motioned to the table and Hermione sat down on the chair that Fred was holding for her. She couldn't help her reddening cheeks, as he cast her a charming smile while doing so. It wasn't long until they were all seated and Hermione realized that both twins had chosen a chair at the opposite side of the table. They looked at her with something like nervous anticipation and Hermione couldn't help but ask herself, what they would want to discuss with her.

"Alright boys, what's wrong?" she asked and looked at them with an encouraging smile. "This is all very lovely but I can't help but think that you've done something and are trying to apologize."

They looked at her with wide eyes, before they snorted in unison. "That's what you think? Merlin, our other selves must have left quite an impression with you."

Hermione chuckled. "Oh, they definitely left an impression. But by your reaction, I conclude that it's not a prank gone wrong or something like that."

They shook their heads with a chuckle. "No, nothing like that. In fact…" Fred started before his brother took over. "we wanted to ask you if you would do us the honour…"

"…of being our girlfriend." They concluded together and stared at her with wide eyes. Hermione blinked and for a moment she just stared at them. Then she swallowed and stared some more.

"Uh, Hermione?" George asked after a short while and looked at her uncertainly. "It's alright, when you need to think about it first or…" But she shook her head with a sigh.

"No, sorry. You just startled me, it's fine." She smiled and looked at them with blushing cheeks. "This is just a bit unexpected, that is all."

They nodded and looked at her expectantly and for a moment Hermione allowed herself to imagine, how it would be having these charming young men as her boyfriends. Fred and George Weasley had always been incredibly fit and handsome and at Hogwarts, both of them had been very popular. In her old life, both of them had been far out of reach for the bushy-haired bookworm and she was pretty sure, they hadn't even once looked at her with this kind of interest. But now she could have them. They wanted her as a girlfriend and for a moment Hermione could almost see it. Fred and George were brilliant and creative and they were hard workers, too. Maybe in another life, they could have been good together, but the longer she thought about the idea, the more she realized, that it wasn't them she wanted. She closed her eyes and sighed.

"I am really flattered by your offer boys but I must be honest with you, I can't." She looked at them with eyes full of regret. "I'm sorry and I hope this doesn't hurt you too badly, because that's the last thing I want."

They looked at her in resignation.

"Is it Ron?" George asked her and looked at her with sad brown eyes. "Because if he's the reason Hermione, we could wait for you. We know it hasn't been long and we still barely know each other…"

She sighed, before she gently reached over the table and took a hand from each of them into hers. "It's not Ron," she said and looked at them with a sad smile. "But there is somebody else, yeah. I didn't realize it until recently and just now, when you told me how you feel, I knew, that these feelings aren't going to go away anytime soon."

They smiled at her kindly. "We understand, Hermione. We figured that we might not stand a chance against them, but…"

Hermione looked at them with wide eyes. "You… you know? How long?"

George and Fred looked at her with a chuckle. "We didn't know, but we suspected there might be something between the three of you since Friday," Fred started and pressed her hand.

George nodded. "But we weren't sure and we figured, we had to try and ask you ourselves. Because quite frankly, you're amazing Hermione. You're the only person that simply sees us, all of us. You always understand us, encourage us no matter what the other's think about our ideas. It's like you simply get us and after everything you did for us… Merlin Hermione, you're the bravest person I know and you're clever," he continued and looked at her with shining eyes. Hermione felt herself blush again. She definitely wasn't used to be complimented like this. "And we figured that if there is a witch for us, then it is you."

Fred nodded, but he looked at her with a kind smile. "But don't worry Hermione. We can accept a 'no' from you without making a big fuss. I have to admit it hurts a bit, but we'll be alright." George nodded with a brave smile and for a moment Hermione's heart broke for them.

"Will you really? Because I would hate to lose you over this, when I just got you back," she admitted and looked at them anxiously. Fred and George looked at her for a short moment, before they got up from their chairs and went to her side. There they kneeled down in front of her and looked at her with warm, brown eyes.

"We will always be your friends, Hermione," George assured her and took her hands into his.

His brother smiled. "You won't get rid of us that easily. You'll have to try harder for that."

Hermione's heart melted at their words and she wished that there was something, she could do to make them feel better. She didn't want the day to end on such a sad note and with a disappointment for them, because no matter what she felt for Fabian and Gideon, those two were still very important to her. But then she suddenly was struck with an idea and she smiled.

"I'm definitely not trying to get rid of you, quite the contrary actually. If you're up for it, I'd like to make you an offer."

They looked at her with wide, curious eyes. "Alright?"

Hermione chuckled. "How do you feel about taking on a business partner?"


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32: Gryffindor courage

5th of October 1999

It had been a long night for Hermione and the Weasleys but at the end of it, Fred and George looked at her with glowing, happy faces and pulled her into a firm hug. Hermione knew then that they would be alright. Still, the evening had given her a lot to think about because it had made one thing clear to her: she definitely had some feelings for the Prewett twins and she was pretty sure it wasn't just a recent thing. When she thought about it, it was even possible that the two of them returned her feelings because when she went through the last encounters she had had with Fabian and Gideon, she could feel something simmering beneath the surface. But was it love? Or was it just deep friendship like it was with Severus? Hermione didn't know but she had to find out because for her it was definitely more. But if she was honest with herself, the realisation slightly scared her. It was one thing to fall for a man that was almost twice her age and had most likely a multitude of knowledge and experiences, but to fall for two of them? Merlin!  
Although her head was spinning with thoughts and realisations, the night was still a peaceful one thanks to Severus' brewing skills. She had only taken dreamless sleep a few times prior, but the potion he had created for her, was just as good and not addictive in any way, as he had repeatedly assured her. Thus allowing her to regain all the hours of sleep she had lost during the last weeks and clear her head by sorting through all the regained memories and everything she had learned in the last weeks. One thing got more and more clear over the process: Fabian and Gideon were an important part of her life now and she wanted to get closer to them again. Time for her to summon all of her Gryffindor courage, Hermione thought, as she swung her legs out of her bed and trotted to the small desk at the window. It only took her a few minutes to finish the short letter and send Severus' owl on her way to them. Then it was time for her to wait and Hermione realized that she had never been as impatient as she felt right now.

It was about five in the afternoon when Hermione floo'd into Fabian's and Gideon's living room. The twins already seemed to be expecting her, as both of them lounged on the sofa with a book in hand and their feet crossing each other in the middle. But as soon as they heard her arrive, their heads snapped to her direction and they looked at her with identical happy expressions on their faces.  
"Hello sunshine," Fabian greeted her and put his book aside. "You're early."  
Hermione sent him a shy smile in return. "Well, I could come back later, if that's better for you…"  
But Gideon had already leapt from the sofa and marched towards her with a wide grin on his face. "Nonsense. Early is perfect. You know we're always happy to see you." He pulled her into a firm hug and Hermione couldn't help but bury her nose into his sweater and take a deep breath. Instantly her nervous stomach seemed to calm down a bit. She really didn't want to let go of him, but she already felt his grip on her loosen and a moment later he pulled back with a gentle smile on his lips.  
"What's the matter, Hermione? Your letter sounded somewhat urgent…" the man in front of her said and looked at her with his bright blue eyes. Immediately her heart started beating violently against her ribcage. Merlin, she was totally smitten with him. How had she not realised this any sooner? Maybe she first needed to regain some more of her memories to finally understand what these two meant to her. "Hermione?"  
She blinked confusedly, before she remembered that Gideon had asked her a question. "Uh sorry. There's a lot on my mind, lately," she said and stared at the two of them with embarrassment.  
"Understandable," Fabian said with a smile. "With all those memories coming back to you. How is that going by the way?"  
Hermione sighed and for a moment she wasn't completely sure what to say to this. "Some things still don't make sense to me, so there must still be a bit to come," she finally replied. "It's incredibly frustrating for me not to have all the facts. I am pretty sure by now, that I shouldn't even be here, to begin with. Because as far as I know, I should have deleted myself from the timeline."  
Suddenly both of them were standing shoulder to shoulder right in front of her and before Hermione knew what was happening, each of them put an arm around her and pulled her close. It was strange hugging them both at once like that, but Hermione was pretty sure she could quickly get used to that feeling.  
"Thank Merlin you didn't," Gideon whispered into her hair and Hermione nodded mutely. There was this strange undertone in his voice again, that made her wonder if it wasn't more than friendship he felt for her. It was that small flicker of hope that made her look up to him and immediately their eyes locked. Her mouth went dry and she had the strong urge to lick her lips, but she repressed it for the moment. Still, there was a nagging little thought in her head that didn't want to go away and so she guessed it was time for another ounce of Gryffindor courage.  
"Can I kiss you? Because I'd really like to do that just now," she admitted and looked at him with her stomach all in flutters. For a moment his eyes went wide but then a happy smile appeared on his lips and he leaned down to her. His mouth touched hers just a second later and his lips started moving against hers ever so slowly. It was enough to let Hermione's heart flutter in happiness. But just as she wanted to deepen the kiss, he gently pulled away from her.  
"Like that?" Gideon whispered while a little smile graced his lips. She nodded with wide eyes but instead of kissing her again like she hoped he would do, he stepped aside and immediately Fabian took his place in front of her.  
"Do you want to kiss me, too?" he asked in looked at her with a gentleness that she had never before seen on him. Hermione smiled shyly.  
"I'd love to. If that's alright with you?"  
"God, yes," was the only thing Fabian said before he pulled her close. She wasn't prepared for the intensity with which he met her lips though. There was no shyness in him and his lips captured her with a vigour that she hadn't expected at all. It's like we've done this before, she thought and before she knew what was happening, she felt her knees go weak below her and she had just enough time to grab Fabian's arm in panic before the next flashback hit her like a bludger and knocked her out cold.

18th of June 1981

Hermione was almost in something like a trance when she stumbled back into Fabian's and Gideon's living room. The realisation of what was about to happen to her hit her hard and she felt like her body was almost too paralysed to even shake with fright. Yet there was no denying what had to be done, what she had to do, even if it meant that she would not only die but that she would have never existed in the first place. Would Severus really be able to remember her, as he had promised? Would anybody? She was almost sure that the answer was no and the realisation caused her legs to almost give out. She caught herself at the corner of the table just in time, taking a deep breath. She couldn't cave in just now, as the hardest and most dangerous part was still ahead of her. She would need all her willpower and conviction to make it through whatever was waiting for her. There was no time to falter and struggle now because then everything would be lost.  
"I'm a Gryffindor, I can do this," she told herself and took two more deep breaths before she straightened her back. A moment later she was on her way up the stairs towards Fabian's bedroom. Molly was still with them, as her voice was easily detectable from halfway up the stairs.  
"Why are you putting yourselves in danger like that?" Hermione heard her scold her brothers with a shrill voice that was usually reserved for her own twins when they had done something reckless again. "This girl stumbles from one danger into the next and you're following her like fools."  
Hermione halted in the hallway and closed her eyes tiredly. Molly was right of course, the life she led now was a dangerous one and she had brought Fabian and Gideon along into her adventures like it was just another trip to Hogsmeade. Suddenly she remembered Severus' words and tried not to blame herself.  
"Hermione is the bravest witch, no the bravest person, I know," Fabian's voice replied heatedly. "She's our chance to win this war, but she cannot win it alone."  
Hermione heard Molly pace through the room and for a moment she thought about retreating downstairs or making herself known by stepping into the room but her legs seemed to be rooted in place.  
"No, of course not, but why does it have to be you?" Molly's voice asked loudly, but if the twins gave an answer to that, she was not able to hear. But that was probably for the better. Whatever they said must have agitated Molly that much, that she stormed out of the room a moment later and stomped down the stairs, without even acknowledging her presence. Hermione stared after her with wide eyes.  
"Hermione?" Fabian's voice suddenly called her from the top of the stairs, from where he looked at her with wide eyes. She blinked at him in surprise.  
"What are you doing outside of your bed?" she asked him while rushing up the stairs. As soon as she was close enough, she offered him an arm to help him back into bed. He smiled at her crookedly.  
"I came looking for you, of course. I knew that you had to be somewhere in the house."  
Hermione nodded in understanding. Of course, the wards must have alerted him to her presence. "Yeah, right."  
"How much did you hear?" Fabian asked her just as they arrived in his room and she saw, that Gideon was following them with his eyes from his place on the bed.  
She shrugged. "Not much, mostly Molly's part. What did you say to anger her like that? She looked really upset when she came down the stairs."  
The twins looked at each other for a long moment and Hermione could have sworn that more than looks were passing between them. Whatever communication they had, it ended with a short nod from Gideon.  
"We told her that we're yours," Fabian replied and held her back with his hand so that he could step in front of her. "It's true Hermione, Gideon and I are totally smitten with you and we want to be yours if you'll have us."  
She stared at him with wide eyes as she contemplated what he was saying. They wanted to be with her, wanted her as a girlfriend and Hermione realized, that she'd love nothing more than to simply say yes. But then her thoughts drifted back to the things she had just learned from visiting her parents and her heart went heavy with sorrow. She couldn't be with them now and disappear from their lives in a few weeks. It would break their hearts and that was the last thing she wanted to do. Because she was theirs too, in a way she had never been Ron's or anybody else's and she wanted nothing more than to simply give in and throw herself into their arms.  
She looked at them with sad eyes and a heavy sigh escaped her lips. "I wish I could say yes to that because there's nothing I'd love more, but it wouldn't be fair to you. I don't even know if I'll be still alive in a week or a month." She looked at them in sorrow. When her eyes met Fabian's he didn't seem discouraged in the least. There was a fire in his eyes, she hadn't seen there before and before she could say another word, he suddenly stepped closer and sealed her lips with a feverish kiss. He pressed his lips onto hers and for a moment Hermione could have sworn that they were on fire as hot as they were. Hermione felt like they were claiming her in that very moment.  
"I don't care what's in a week or a month Hermione," he said, before pulling her into another heated kiss that left her totally breathless. "If you really want us, then we will live every moment like it could be our last and make it count."  
With that he pulled back from her, only to make room for his brother that had somehow climbed out of bed and appeared next to him. Gideon stared at her for a short moment, searched her eyes and for a moment it seemed to her like he was asking for permission to kiss her too. She looked up at him with her heart hammering excitedly in her chest and when their eyes met, she sent him an almost invisible nod. It was enough for him to pull her into his arms and seal his lips with hers. The kiss wasn't anything like the fake kiss they had shared before, even though it had left her breathless and with weak knees. But now it was like Gideon poured all his feelings into her through his lips, as each move against her seemed to whisper of adoration and affection. Hermione's heart soaked them up like a dried-out sponge.  
She couldn't have said how long their kiss lasted but when it ended Gideon looked down at her with swollen lips and blown pupils. Hermione had never found him more handsome than at this moment. "Please be our girlfriend Hermione," he said and took her hand gently into his, while Fabian took the other one into his.  
"We know the times are dangerous and we could probably be dead tomorrow, but then we at least had this moment, or all the ones, that could possibly follow," Fabian continued and pulled her hand to his lips. "Please don't be afraid of tomorrow and just enjoy what we have today."  
Gideon nodded and looked at her with eyes full of vulnerability. "This war takes so much from all of us, but don't let it take this. Whatever this is between the three of us, whatever it could be, don't sacrifice it for something we cannot control."  
Hermione felt a lump forming in her throat. God, she wanted them so badly, wanted to be theirs even if it was just for a day. And who said she couldn't? Because they were right, they didn't know what would be tomorrow or the day after. Hermione had a feeling what would happen to her soon, but right now she didn't want to think about it. She wanted to be selfish, just once in her life and bathe in all the love and attention those two were willing to give her.  
"Alright, let's not think about tomorrow then," she said and looked at them with a slight nod. A moment later she stepped closer and threw herself into their arms and they accepted her with matching smiles on their faces.  
"No, let's think about today," Fabian said and kissed her forehead.  
"Yeah, we'll make every moment count," Gideon added and kissed the corner of her mouth.  
"We'll make it worth a lifetime," his brother murmured into her ear before kissing her earlobe and Hermione could feel the goosebumps spreading on her skin.  
"And when Death comes knocking on our door, then there's nothing to regret," Gideon said, this time kissing her on the mouth, and Hermione was determined to do just that.

5th of October 1999

When Hermione opened her eyes, she looked into two pairs of striking blue ones that looked down at her full of worry. Fabian was leaning directly over her and held her, with her head bedded on his lap. Gideon was sitting next to him and held her hand while studying her face intensely.  
"Did you really just faint from kissing me?" Fabian teased her with a small smile playing at his lips. "If I knew I had such an effect on you, I would have held back a little." He winked at her and Hermione couldn't help but snort.  
"These flashbacks do really get more and more annoying," she said grumpily and tried to pull herself up. "It pretty much happens every time I do something I have also done in the past, like kissing you for example."  
Gideon smiled at her and offered her a hand to help her up. Hermione took it gratefully and let him pull her into his arms, where she promptly snuggled close.  
"I'm glad you remember now," he said and buried his nose into her hair.  
Fabian got to his feet and embraced her from behind. "We're yours, Hermione, if you still want us."  
She looked at them with wide eyes. "Are you really? It's been so long for you," she said sadly and leaned forward against Gideon's chest. Just a moment later she felt Fabian's lips caress her neck with a feather-light kiss and immediately goosebumps broke out on her skin.  
"We'll always be yours, Hermione," he whispered into her ear before he nuzzled her earlobe with his nose. "Time is of no importance if you're in love."  
Her knees got weak. They loved her, she thought but instead of saying something, she nodded mutely against Gideon's chest. Did she love them back? She didn't know but she was determined to find out. Because suddenly everything she ever wanted for herself seemed at arm's reach. She just had to be brave enough to claim it.


	33. Chapter 33

A.N.: Here's some fluff for all of us. I think we deserved that, after so many chapters of struggling.

Chapter 33: Oh happy days!

19th of June 1981

Hermione joined her twins in bed for the rest of the evening. Those two had barely been able to keep themselves upright any longer but as they simply refused to leave her side, she had joined them in bed. She spent the rest of the evening sandwiched in between those two handsome redheads, where she cuddled and snogged them until they fell asleep in each other's arms. The night that followed was by far the most refreshing Hermione had had in weeks. She woke up rested and full of energy and when she opened her eyes, she found Gideon watching her with his head propped up on his hand and a happy smile on his lips.

"Good morning Hermione," he whispered and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. "Did you have a good night?"

"The best," she answered against his lips before she kissed him again. That was when she felt another pair of arms sling themselves around her stomach and pull her back against another warm body.

"Do I get a 'Good Morning' kiss, too?" Fabian whispered into her ear and kissed her neck.

Hermione turned her head towards him with a smile on her lips. "If you ask nicely…"

Something flashed behind Fabian's eyes and a grin broke out on his face. "Oh, I can ask _very_ nicely," he murmured before he kissed her neck again and his hands pulled her even closer against him. Hermione felt goosebumps spread all over her skin. "Could I please get a 'good morning' kiss from my beautiful girlfriend?" Fabian whispered into her ear before he started nibbling on her earlobe. Hermione turned around to him with an affectionate smile. "More than one, if you keep asking me like that," she said and stroked his cheek with her hand. His eyes sparkled in delight but she wasn't able to see them for very long, as she closed her eyes when his lips met hers. It was a gentle, slow kiss but Hermione enjoyed every second of it. When his tongue gently traced her lower lip to beg for entrance, she opened her mouth for him with a happy little sigh.

"Mhm, I'm never going to let you sleep in your own bed again, when you keep kissing me good morning like that," he murmured against her mouth before he pulled away and looked at her with shining eyes. But she couldn't help but feel the flutter of nervousness in her belly. It was the first time that she contemplated, what it would mean to share a bed with not one but two boys. Merlin's pants, what was she thinking? Was she even ready for this step? She stared at him with wide eyes and rosy cheeks. Would they want to do that kind of thing with her?

"Uhm well, I don't know… I'm not sure if…" but he stopped her with a gentle kiss on the lips.

"Don't worry Hermione," he said and stroked her cheek with his thumb. It was almost like he had sensed her thoughts "We aren't expecting anything that you aren't comfortable with. You're setting the pace. Whatever you want to do or don't want to do is fine with us."

She nodded and a moment later Gideon turned her around and pulled her into a tight embrace. "There's no reason for us to hurry anything Hermione. We're just happy to be with you, that you're accepting the both of us."

Hermione leaned her head against his shoulder and soaked in the smell and warmth of his body. "I wouldn't be able to decide on one of you and as you asked me both, I obviously don't have to."

"No," Fabian said from behind and kneaded her shoulders. "…because we love to share." With that he dug his fingers into her muscles and Hermione couldn't help the moan that escaped her mouth. Maybe sharing a bed with them wasn't a bad idea at all, when she would be greeted like that in the mornings.

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6th of October 1999

Hermione didn't go back to Spinner's End that night as Fabian and Gideon had simply refused to let her go and to be honest, she hadn't tried very hard to get away from them. It was the last thing she had wanted and so she simply stayed over and let them pull her into Fabian's bed. While she slept in their arms, another memory from a similar situation came back to her but when she awoke in the middle of the night, she simply snuggled closer to Fabian and closed her eyes again. It didn't take her long to fall back asleep.

When she opened her eyes in the morning both twins were already awake and looked at her with matching grins. Hermione pulled herself into a sitting position and looked at them with bleary eyes.

"Good morning sleepyhead," Gideon said affectionately and kissed her nose.

"It's good to have you back here, where you belong," Fabian whispered over her shoulder and nuzzled her hair with his nose. "This bed was way to empty without you in it."

Hermione smiled. "Does that mean I can move back in with you?"

Gideon's eyes lighted up before he pulled her into a lingering kiss. "Gods yes!" But it wasn't long until his brother pulled her around and claimed her lips on his own. "Thought you'd never ask," Fabian murmured before he peppered her mouth with kisses. Hermione smiled against his lips.

"Sometimes even the best of us can be a bit slow," she admitted before she allowed herself to dig her fingers into his ginger locks and run her fingers through them. She marvelled how soft and silky they were in comparison to the dry mop of hair she called her own. "Don't worry, you won't get rid of me anytime soon."

"Good, because I don't want to waste another minute on missing you," Gideon murmured into her ear and buried his nose into her shoulder. "Gods I missed you. Those goddamn 18 years were bad enough but finally having you back and _not having you back_ at the same time was torture."

Hermione leaned her cheek against his head and whispered: "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry you had to suffer like that." Her boyfriend just shook his head and moved on the bed, so that he too was now in front of her. From there the two brothers looked at her with so much love in their blue eyes that Hermione forgot to breathe for a moment.

"Don't be sorry Hermione," Gideon said and gently kissed her lips.

"Nothing that happened was your fault, so there is no need for you to apologise." Fabian looked at her with a kind smile and pulled her into a kiss on his own. "Fate dealt us some pretty shitty cards but it looks we can still get our happy ending."

Hermione nodded and felt the tears spring into her eyes. These two gorgeous men were so much more than she ever thought possible for herself and they looked at her with so much adoration that it blew her mind. "Yeah," was the only word that she managed to say before she closed her arms desperately around their bodies and pulled them into a tight hug. "God, what have I done to deserve you?" she whispered and felt their arms close around her protectively.

"Everything," they chorused and even though Hermione had no idea what the meant with that, she accepted their answer with a happy sigh.

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"I'm moving back in with the Prewett twins," Hermione said to Severus over lunch. Even though Fabian and Gideon had almost begged her to accompany her to Spinner's End to get all her stuff, she had insisted to go on her own and tell her best friend about their relationship. And so Hermione had left Prewett house after breakfast and returned to Severus' home.

"How come? Did you get tired of me?" her friend asked her innocently but the glow in his eyes betrayed the tone of his question. Hermione smiled when she realized, how well she had gotten to know the man across from her at the table.

"We… we're together Severus," she admitted with pink cheeks and forced herself to look up at him. "We've also been so in the past, but I just now remembered."

He nodded slowly and looked at her with dark eyes. "Alright. And you're sure that's what you want? You don't feel pressured or anything by the things that were between the three of you in the past?"

Hermione blinked at him in confusion. "What do you mean? Why shouldn't I want to be with them?"

Severus shook his head with a sad smile. "I don't know, but that's why I'm asking. Those men might not be the same that they were 18 years ago. The time after the war changed them and I don't want you to agree to a relationship with them, just because you feel guilty for leaving them behind or…"

"That's not what this is, Severus," she assured him quickly and smiled. "I want to be with them, I really do. But I'm glad you're looking out for me though."

Her friend smiled. "That's what family is for, Hermione."

Hermione looked at him with warm eyes and took his hand on the table. "Does that mean you're okay with me moving out? I'll only be a floo call away."

At that Severus snorted and looked at her with an amused expression. "I might be twice your age, but I am not your father Hermione. Of course, I am okay with you moving out. I just wanted to make sure you're happy."

"I am," she confessed and smiled.

"Then I am happy for you."

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20th of June 1981

Finally Fabian and Gideon were able to leave their temporarily shared bed again and even though she had really enjoyed the time they spent cuddling and snogging under the sheets, Hermione was more than glad to see her boys upright again. Both of them were bouncing with energy and even though Hermione could tell that they were still a bit sore, both of them were all happy smiles and happy snogs. And she sure as hell wasn't complaining. There wasn't much for them to do, as it was now Severus' turn to bring them the last Horcrux. By what her friend had secretly communicated, this could happen any day now. But until then, they had nothing to do but wait and train on their combat skills in Fabian's and Gideon's training room in the basement.

"Let's do something outside," Fabian said suddenly and embraced her from behind. "It's a beautiful day outside and we've been cramped up inside for far too long."

Hermione leaned her head against his chest. She still had to get used to how tall he was compared to her, as he could comfortable kiss the top of her head when they were standing like this. "Isn't that dangerous? There's a war raging outside, where would we even go?" she asked but at the same time, she felt the pull to get some fresh air within her chest, too.

"Don't worry about that, love. We just know the place," Gideon said as he casually strolled through the door, his curly hair still wet from the shower he had just taken. "Just put on some nice summer clothes and we're good to go. I'll prepare something to eat." Fabian mumbled into her hair before he let go of her.

"Picnic?" Gideon chimed in and looked at them with sparkling eyes. "Sound's brilliant! I just know the place for it!"

It was barely 15 minutes later when Fabian apparated them to a green meadow at the border of a fairy-tale-like forest. It was full of beautiful wildflowers and Hermione could see dozens of butterflies flying around them. She was immediately enchanted.

"Wow, it's beautiful here!" And it was. Hermione looked around in awe as she felt the warmth of the sun grace the bare skin of her arms. She had donned a yellow summer dress for the occasion as she thought it was the most appropriate clothing item for a picnic. When she looked around her now, Hermione felt that she had made the right choice.

"It was our favourite place as kids," Fabian admitted as he spread a huge picnic blanket in front of her on the grass, while his brother placed an enormous basket next to it on the ground.

"We often came here as kids and played hide and seek within the high grass. It drove Molly nuts, as she was usually the one who had to watch her little brothers and we just kept disappearing on her." Gideon smiled fondly and sat down before he patted on the spot next to him invitingly.

"She could really be an annoying little mother hen sometimes and we just had to get out of her way from time to time. A boy can only stand to be smothered so much before he gets stir crazy." Fabian laughed and pulled Hermione down with him onto the blanket. She landed on top of him with a surprised little squeal.

His brother chuckled next to them amusedly. "It's no wonder she's got seven kids on her own now - Merlin seven! We really thought she'd have enough after having a pair of twins to smother on her own now. But maybe she's waiting until she's finally got a daughter to direct all her attention to."

"You're probably right," Hermione admitted with a little snort and rolled on her back. The sky above them was of a beautiful blue today and there wasn't a cloud in sight. She sighed happily. "Let's spend all day here and wait until it's dark. I'd love to see the stars and feel the summer breeze on my skin." She suddenly exclaimed and the boys leaned over her and nodded happily.

This was the day she would remember, Hermione decided when the dark times would finally catch up with them. Her boys, the high grass around them that kept them hidden from all eyes, the butterflies and this perfect blue sky – it would stay in her mind and provide her with enough happiness for the days to come. Hermione would cherish the memory of it until she took her last breath no matter if it was tomorrow or in a hundred years.


	34. Chapter 34

A.N.: Some warnings ahead. This chapter includes quite a bit of violence, even though nothing is described explicitly. But I am sure your brains might be able to imagine the things I refrained from writing down and supply you with some unwanted pictures. If these things trigger or upset you, then you should probably skip the end of the second part of the chapter. Part one and three are safe for you to read, though.

Chapter 34: Fast forward

7th of October 1999

It hadn't taken her long to move all her stuff back to Prewett house as she hadn't accumulated much over the last weeks. Not only she was lacking the money to buy much for herself, but for a long time, she still felt like an intruder in a world that didn't really have a place for her. So she simply hadn't bothered to make herself at home. But she was determined to change that when she stepped into her old room in Fabian's and Gideon's house and placed the small bag with her possessions on the floor. This timeline was where she was meant to be, where she had found and would find happiness for herself and all the persons she had come to love. Fabian and Gideon had accepted her into their home and into their lives with open arms and now it was time to let them feel that she was determined to stay there.

She hadn't slept in her bed that night and no one had expected her to. Like it was the most natural thing on earth, the twins had pulled her with them into Fabian's room and offered her the middle of the large bed before they climbed in to the right and left of her. Hermione didn't complain and simply cuddled close to them with a happy sigh. She had no idea how far along they had gotten in their relationship in the past and it felt awkward to her not to know if she was even still a virgin. She was too embarrassed to ask the twins though and so she simply decided to wait for more memories to return to her or for the twins to make a move. But neither Gideon nor Fabian did anything more than snog her and she was fine with that. It wasn't long before she fell asleep in their arms with a happy smile on her lips.

It was the middle of the night when she suddenly felt, that something was wrong. She awoke of a lurching in her stomach and a moment later she realized, that she was sweaty and shaking all over. Her body felt achy and there was a tingling feeling all over her skin but when she opened her eyes to look what was wrong with her, she saw that her skin had taken on a white, almost ghost-like transparency.

"Fabian, Gideon," she gasped and the two men were instantly awake. "Help, something's wrong with me," she moaned and not a moment later she could feel Gideon's cool fingers touching the skin of her forehead.

"Merlin, you're burning up," he gasped and looked at her with wide eyes. But she just shook her head and looked at him with wide panicked eyes.

"What's happening to me?" Hermione moaned, just as her stomach gave another lurch and she crumpled together into a ball while lying on her side. But through the slits of her eyes, she saw that her skin had gotten even more transparent. She whimpered.

"Hold on, sunshine. I'll go and get Severus," Fabian urged her, while he sprinted to the bedroom door in his pyjamas. "Everything will be all right. Just hold on for a little while longer."

And with that, he was gone. Hermione moaned and she could feel her body starting to shake even more violently. Something was happening and she realized that it was happening now. There was no way Fabian and Severus would make it back in time to help her and even if they were, there was probably nothing they could do. "Hold me, Gideon," she pleaded with chattering teeth and barely a moment later she could feel her boyfriend pulling her close.

"I'm here Hermione, it's alright," he whispered to her and Hermione forced herself to concentrate on the feel of his touch.

"Don't let go of me," she whispered before a pained whimper escaped her lips and she could feel him nod in front of her before she was engulfed in blackness.

ssssssss

21th of June 1981

They were right in the middle breakfast when Severus' doe Patronus dashed into the kitchen and halted in front of them in the air.

"Got what I was looking for, head to Gringott's at once with the others," it instructed them with Severus' calm deep baritone before it dissolved in front of them into white mist.

"Looks like breakfast has to wait," Fabian said dryly and pushed his full plate away. A moment later he was already rushing up the stairs.

"We're just getting the other Horcruxes from our hide-out," Gideon shouted towards her before he followed his brother up the stairs and Hermione followed the two of them with her eyes. She had the unmistakable feeling that this war would end very soon. If they managed to destroy Voldemort's soul pieces today, it would be only a matter of time, before they had to face the man themselves. Hermione could feel in her bones, that this would be rather sooner than later.

"Alright, got them," Fabian shouted and dashed down the stairs with his brother in tow. "Let's end this."

Hermione nodded and got up from her chair. "Let's end this," she confirmed and looked at them with her head held high. "Together."

They floo'd into the Leaky Cauldron as it is was the shortest way for them to get to the bank. The pub was still mostly empty when they stumbled into the dimly light taproom and Tom, the bartender, looked at them with curiosity.

"Just running some business," Gideon explained with a small smile and a nod before they left the pub in the direction of Diagon Alley. As soon as Hermione set her foot onto the cobblestone alley in front of her, she knew that something was wrong.

"They're here," she whispered urgently before she pulled out her wand and the twins followed her example with matching nods. They didn't slow in their movements towards the bank and Hermione followed them with her back ramrod straight. Diagon Alley was totally empty and when they passed several shops they saw that doors and windows were tightly closed, even though at least some of them should have been open by now. Obviously, not only Hermione could feel that there was danger lurking somewhere in front of them.

Hermione kept herself and the twins shielded the whole time. It was no secret that those two were the better duellers, as their reflexes were much better than hers and they knew a variety of spells she had never even heard of. This was what they had decided, she would take care of their defence when it came to a fight. When they came closer to the doors of Gringott's, she could see that the fight was already waiting for them.

"Hermione Granger," a voice cold as ice greeted her and Hermione would have known it anywhere. It was the voice she had heard in her head during the Battle of Hogwarts. Even though the man that stood on the stairs leading towards the bank had a different body, she knew for sure that it was Voldemort himself. "I must confess that you have come to be quite a nuisance."

Hermione slowed her steps but kept walking towards the dark wizard with measured steps. They were screwed when it came to a duel before they would be able to destroy the Horcruxes but it looked like that was exactly what was about to happen. "You know what we need to do first," she whispered towards the twins before he focussed her eyes on the enemy ahead of her and forced herself to smile. "I see you know my name, Tom," she greeted politely and immediately she saw his eyes flash red at her use of his given name but apart from this nothing betrayed the man's cool and detached demeanour. "I also know yours." Hermione schooled her features into a mysterious smile and she hoped it worked because her insides didn't feel like smiling at all. She had to focus his attention as much as possible on herself. That would hopefully buy her twins some time to bring their valuable cargo to their goblin friends. It was probably a futile hope, but she had to try nonetheless.

"I figured, that you indeed discovered one of my biggest secrets," the black-haired man that might have even been handsome once replied with a calculated smile. "But I also discovered yours." He barely finished his sentence, before he lazily waved his wand through the air and suddenly the formerly disillusioned body of Severus appeared in front of her. He was lying barely ten steps ahead of them on the ground, with his body paralysed his eyes ripped wide open and he stared at her in open fear. Hermione's insides went cold. She realized that to both of their sides several black-cloaked figures had appeared from seemingly out of nowhere.

"What have you done to him?" she asked and kept her eyes trained on her enemy.

"Well, apparently Severus is a little traitor," the Dark Lord hissed and looked at her with small eyes. "He has taken something that doesn't belong to him and something told me, that he did so on your orders."

Hermione wanted to close her eyes to take a calming breath, but she couldn't afford to let her focus shift and so she locked her eyes with Voldemort instead. "I didn't order him to do anything," she said proudly and forced herself to take another step towards him. She felt the twin's hands on her arms in the attempt to hold her back but she shook them off with a shake of her head.

"Then tell me, witch, why did he try to get into the bank? I think he tried to hide something that is not his - that is in fact _mine_. But there is no hiding from Lord Voldemort," the mad man intoned and like on commando the doors of the bank burst open and several more Death Eaters appeared from inside, each of them a captured or wounded goblin in tow. Hermione took in the scene with wide eyes and her eyes fell involuntarily on a tall Death Eater with platinum blonde hair that dragged the barely conscious figure of Grabruk after him on the ground. She ground her teeth together. This was bad, really bad. But there had to be a way out, or all would be over.

"Now you see what I am capable of," Voldemort continued and looked at her with glowing red eyes. "Or you will see when I am finished here today." By now all of the Death Eaters that were holding a hostage had lined up in a half-circle behind him so that she was facing a wall of terrifying masked figures. "So tell me Miss Granger, which of them shall die for you first? Or no, let's warm up with a bit of torture, shall we?"

She could feel her heart beating heavily in her chest, as she took in the scene with stoic calmness. There was no way she and the Prewett's could even land a hit on the Dark Lord under these circumstances, let alone kill him with all of his Horcruxes still intact. If there was only a way for her to save them! She halted. Maybe there was a way for her to do just that.

"None of them," she said firmly and took another step towards them. "You won't put a finger on one of my friends, because none of them is really of importance to you, Tom." She could already hear the animated whispers break out under his followers, but Hermione ignored them and kept on talking. "None of them knows your little secrets, but I know all five of them. You see? They're not the ones you want, I am."

Her enemy looked at her with calculating eyes and she saw something flicker behind them that made her stomach tie into a big knot of angst. But there was no way out for her now, because he knew exactly what had to happen now. "I will take their place instead, no matter if you intend to torture or kill. Take me instead and spare the life of my friends and those goblins."

She heard Fabian and Gideon gasp in shock behind her and for a moment she saw Severus' eyes flicker towards her and she could see that he knew exactly what she was doing. He had seen her memories after all. However, Hermione did not hesitate and after a second her eyes snapped back to Voldemort, who was looking at her with an unsettling grin. She straightened her shoulders and cancelled her shield a moment later.

"So you intend to tell me that you will not try to fight and just let me torture and kill you?"

She nodded. "I will be taking the place of my friends and the goblins, all of them. You will not harm a single one of them, because I will take their place."

Around her erupted a chorus of amused laughter under the Death Eaters but Hermione ignored it stoically and kept her eyes trained on their leader. As soon as the voices died down again, the man himself raised his hand to call their attention. "You heard it. This witch wants to take the place of the goblins, how very noble, how very _disappointing_. I must say, I was kind of looking forward to this but let's make this at least a little bit of fun, shall we?"

He looked at her with sadistic pleasure in his eyes. "Step forward then, Hermione Granger and receive, what you bargained for."

Hermione closed her eyes for a second before she opened them again and turned towards Fabian and Gideon. She looked at them with sad eyes full of regret. "I love you," she said loudly and looked each of them in the eyes for a long second and much more quietly she whispered: "You know what you have to do." Then she turned around and lowered her wand.

"How very touching," Voldemort's voice ridiculed her with a sneer before he raised his wand like a conductor would raise his baton. "Shall we then?"

Hermione looked at him with a raised chin and demonstratively put her wand away into the pockets of her robes. Then she nodded. "Let's get this over with, shall we?"

That was obviously all invitation this madman needed because the first Crucio hit her just a moment after. It wasn't long until her body crumpled on the floor as her legs were no longer able to support her weight. She used her last bit of willpower to seek out Severus' eyes who lay on the ground only several steps from her. Soon after she was no longer able to hear the cheers of the Death Eaters and the cries for mercy from her friends around her. All that remained for her were Severus' eyes that stared into hers with a calming intensity that gave her the strength to struggle on until the Dark Lord got bored of her. She didn't see him raise his wand for the next spell, but Hermione knew what was coming and she blinked at her friend once to say her goodbye. Severus blinked back before he focussed his eyes on her again. He kept his promise. He was with her until the green jet of light hit her limp body and her world went black. And somewhere, at the other end of London, a little Hermione Granger blinked out of existence.

ssssssss

When Hermione's world shifted back into focus, she didn't know where she was at first. She was on a bed in a smallish room with walls that were plastered with a variety of Quidditch posters and pictures. She knew she had been to this place before, she just couldn't remember when.

"Hello Mione," a well-known, kind voice greeted her and suddenly she realized that she wasn't alone in the room. There was a tall and kind-looking redhead sitting on the bed next to her and studying her with sad, blue eyes. "Did you finally come to see me again?"

Hermione blinked at the strange boy in surprise and as he suddenly took her hand into his, her eyes went wide. She knew who that was. How could she have forgotten? "Ron," she whispered and her boyfriend smiled and took one of her unruly curls between his fingers.

"Didn't expect to see me again, did you?" he asked before he let go of her hair and took her hand into his instead. "I missed you, you know? I still do in fact."

He looked at her with blue, sad eyes. "Come back to me Mione, please."

She looked at him in confusion, but that was when her brain finally caught on and she remembered _everything_. She remembered her life and death in the past as well as the things that happened when she woke up in a world that no longer knew a Hermione Granger. "I can't," she finally replied and looked at him with sad eyes and Ron's eyes looked back at her in resignation.

"You found someone else, didn't you? Someone better than me…"

Hermione closed her eyes for a moment when she felt her heart break for him. "That's not the reason Ron. I need to save those people, I need to save Fred and George and your uncles, Ron, they're alive you know."

He looked at her with sad eyes before a forced smile appeared on his face. "I know. You saved them all, didn't you? Well, I always knew you were brilliant and you were always too good for me anyway."

Hermione couldn't help herself and pulled him into an affectionate hug. "That's not true, Ron. You're kind and loyal and I love you."

"But you love them, too," he added and pressed her against him. He still felt like she remembered him, long limbs and lean muscles from his time as a beater and his Auror training.

"Yeah, I love them too, Fabian and Gideon that is. Is that alright with you?"

Her former boyfriend looked at her for a long moment. "Dunno, I barely know them to be honest. But if they make you happy…"

"They really do," Hermione admitted with a little smile against his chest.

"Good," Ron said with an air of finality and pulled back from her. "…because you deserve to be happy, Hermione. Don't let anybody tell you otherwise." He smiled at her and slowly got up from his place in bed, only to offer her a hand to help her up too. She took it with a shy smile.

"Gods, I'll miss you, Hermione, even though I won't even exist much longer after you go back." He looked at her with a longing in his eyes that almost made her change her mind. But she didn't. This whole conversation must be in her head anyway but that didn't make it any less bittersweet.

"I'll miss you too, Ron. And I promise I'll never forget you – this you - because the Ron in the other timeline is a self-centred arsehole. He's even got a house-elf."

At that, the redhead sent her a crooked smile. "Merlin that's bad. Please don't get me confused with him. I'd never be like that."

Hermione smiled. "I know. There's only one Ron Weasley for me and that will always be you."

He nodded in satisfaction. "That's good enough for me. Well, I guess now it's time for you to head back." Ron looked down at his hands and wrung them nervously. "Would it be too much to ask for a last kiss? Just one?" He looked at her with red ears and Hermione smiled at him affectionately.

"Just one," she replied before she stepped on her toes and kissed him slowly on the mouth. "Goodbye, Ron," she murmured against his mouth before she slowly pulled back from him. His mouth had formed a happy little smile and he looked at her with his blue eyes full of love and adoration.

"Goodbye, Hermione."

Before she could say anything else, the world around her went blurry and dissolved into nothingness.


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35: Homecoming

7th of October 1999

When Hermione opened her eyes again, three pairs of worried eyes looked back at her from above. She didn't know how long she had been out but as it was already daylight outside, it must have been quite a while. Fabian and Gideon were still in their pyjamas and Severus looked like he had just thrown a black robe on top of his. The three of them had probably been at her side since she lost consciousness in the middle of the night.

"Hermione," Gideon whispered and looked at her with wide eyes. "…are you alright, love?"

"Been better," she mumbled and realized how dry her mouth was. She coughed. Fabian already waited with a glass of water for her.

"Here, let me help you sit up," Gideon mumbled before he grabbed her under her arms and helped her up. Hermione smiled kindly at him and took the glass of water Fabian offered her. She emptied it with four big gulps before she sunk back into her pillow with another cough.

"Can you tell us what happened?" Fabian asked her carefully and took her hand. "You were unconscious but it looked like you were in lots of pain."

Hermione sighed. "I think it's safe to say, that I just got my last memory back, which came with quite a bit of torture as you know."

The twins nodded with wide eyes, while Severus studied her with an inclined head. He didn't say anything even though he looked like he wanted to. For a while, none of them said a word as they stared at each other and everybody seemed at a loss for words. Finally, Hermione took a deep breath and said: "Can you tell me what happened … afterwards? My memory ends with him pretty much alive and all the Horcruxes still intact."

Fabian and Gideon looked at her with wide eyes and Hermione suspected that they just relived the moments from her memory. Severus looked at her with calm dark eyes, sighed and said: "I'm pretty sure you knew what you were doing back then, opposite to the Dark Lord. After he was… finished with you he tried to direct his _attention_ towards me. I was a traitor after all and even if he had intended to keep his end of the bargain, which he didn't, he would have never let me go."

Hermione nodded mutely with a grim smile on her lips and Severus continued without taking his eyes off her. "But as you hoped, his spells were no longer able to touch me. As his Crucio failed to show the desired effect he went livid but by then Fabian and Gideon had already engaged him into a fight."

Her gaze wandered towards her twins and they seemed to have regained at least part of their spirit, as they now smiled proudly at her. The wet shimmer in their eyes showed though, that they were still far from unaffected. But they still didn't say a word and so Severus continued: "His Crucio had neutralised the body-bind he had cast on me and it was right in time that I could be able to join the fight. The Dark Lord didn't only make an error when he overlooked your sacrifice - he made an even bigger one with threatening the goblins. Until then they had been neutral towards him but by taking some of them hostage, he had brought the wrath of every goblin in Gringott's down on him. And, by putting their lives before your own you must be the first witch or wizard in existence that won the loyalty of the whole goblin nation."

Severus smiled proudly and gently put his hand on her arm. "Without you, nothing of that would have been possible, Hermione. Even though you did not deliver the last blow, you were the one who killed him. You made sure we had a fair chance to end this."

She nodded thickly and searched for the twin's eyes, who kept looking at her like they were unsure, what to say to her. Severus followed her gaze and after studying the twins for a moment, he squeezed her arm once more and got up from his chair.

"I'll head home for now. If there's anything, in particular, you want to talk about, you know where to find me."

Hermione nodded. "Alright." She wanted to say more, but Severus had already turned around and left the room. For a moment it looked like he was leaving in a hurry but that did not make sense to her. He had barely closed the door behind him though when the twins leapt from their chairs and pulled her in a tight embrace.

"Merlin Hermione," Gideon whispered into her hair and she could feel the shudders that went through his body. "I still keep seeing you in front of us on the ground screaming your voice hoarse with pain. Those were the darkest hours of my whole life because for a moment I thought we'd lost you forever."

Hermione nodded against his chest. "I'm so sorry. I just didn't see any other way…"

Gideon pulled back with a sigh and a second later Fabian took his place. "There was no other way, love. Without you, we all would have died that day. I still only understand half of what you did but somehow you managed to save us."

She sighed. "I can try to explain it to you if you like," she said and looked at both of them. "How about you come here and give me some much-needed cuddles and I tell you the story, how Voldemort was once defeated by a one-year-old toddler."

They looked at her with matching smiles. "Sounds brilliant to us!"

ssssssss

It took Hermione almost an hour and another headache potion to tell Fabian and Gideon everything that had happened in the other timeline. They listened to her stories with wide eyes, while Fabian had pulled her against his chest and Gideon had buried his hand in her hair, where he kept playing with her curls absentmindedly.

"Now I understand how you could survive that killing curse back then and how you could throw off Bellatrix' Cruciatus curse," Fabian said after she had finished her tale. "I still can't believe you gave that protection to save us though. It was a brilliant move but I don't know anyone but you who'd have the guts to do it."

Gideon nodded solemnly and Hermione looked at the two of them with a sigh. "It was the only way. But I don't know how I am still alive. I checked, there is no longer a younger version of me, in fact there never was as the Grangers don't have a daughter now, and I should have disappeared with her."

The redheads looked at each other before Fabian sighed tiredly and said: "We might have an explanation for that. We're not completely sure, but we think it has something to do with the life debt we owed you."

His brother nodded and continued: "At first we thought you were dead. After Voldemort was killed and everything was over, we could still feel the life debt that connected us with you, it was still active. But you didn't show up of course and today we know, why you didn't. We were still connected to you in a way though and after some time we started to feel the effects. I am not sure how, but somehow there was a small drain in our magical energy, not enough to make us sick or inhibit us, but it was definitely there."

"We got used to it after the years and after a while, we didn't even think about it any longer. But then it was suddenly gone one day and not two days later we were called to St. Mungos. And there you were."

She stared at them with wide eyes. "You saved me?"

Fabian shrugged. "We don't know for sure of course, but it does look like it, doesn't it?"

Hermione nodded as her brain still tried to process all the facts. "Yeah."

For a while, they just stared at each other and Hermione was at a loss for words. She was feeling so many things at the same time and for a moment it was simply all too much. There were still things she still could not wrap her mind around. "You could feel that I was not dead though the life debt and… you waited for me? Is that what you are saying?"

The twins looked at her with a serious expression, before they nodded with their blue eyes fixed on her face. "Yeah, does this freak you out?" Fabian asked and looked at her nervously. "It's just, we love you too, you know? We really don't want to pressure you or anything so if you'd rather…"

She interrupted him. "Oh, do shut up," Hermione said before she silenced him with a fierce kiss and buried her hand in his hair. It was the most passionate she'd ever been with him, but at the moment it just felt right. Fabian didn't seem to mind though, as he closed his arms around her and kissed her back with a hunger that left her breathless when they broke apart some minutes later. But before she could find her breath again, Gideon had already pulled her close and locked his lips with hers. Not long ago she would have felt intimidated by those two men that seemed to have so much passion for her but now she found that she just enjoyed their attentions.

"Gods, I missed you," Gideon admitted in between kisses while cradling her face. Suddenly Hermione felt another pair of hands sneaking around her hips and brush up her sides and before she knew what she was doing, a moan escaped her mouth. Why was it suddenly getting so hot in the room? As Fabian's thumbs brushed against the sides of her breasts Hermione thought that the temperature of the room might not be the problem at all.

"Tell us, if you want us to stop," Fabian whispered into her ear, while his brother had started sucking at her bottom lip. Hermione managed the barest of nods because honestly, she didn't want them to stop, at least not right away. Hermione had come so close to losing these gorgeous men, but the moments before she believed she would die had given her some clarity. She had regretted not having the opportunity to spend more time with them, to get to know them better and show them that she did indeed love them. Now that she had, against all odds, gotten the chance to do all these things, she wanted to use every opportunity to do just that. And so Hermione kissed Gideon back with a fervour that was completely new for her. Gideon moaned into her mouth before she pulled back from her with a regretful smile on his lips.

"Gods Hermione, I think we need to slow down a bit. Otherwise, I might not be able to stop myself," he said with a crooked smile. Fabian, too, removed his hands from her body and Hermione felt the loss immediately. She looked at both of them with raised brows.

"Then don't stop," she said matter of factly and kissed him again. Gideon accepted her lips with a silent moan into her mouth. Hermione knew that she was playing with fire and usually she would have ended any romantic encounter just here. She and Ron had danced around each other for months after all before Hermione one day disappeared into another timeline. She never felt really sure with him but suddenly she regretted not having much experience because she surely could have used it.

Fabian distracted her by kissing her neck, before he whispered into her ear: "We really shouldn't rush this, Hermione, as much as I'd love to." He nibbled at her ear lobe. "You just got all your memories back Sunshine and we want you to be sure that this is what you want."

She broke the kiss with Gideon and turned around to his brother, to look at him with searching eyes. "Is this because I'm still a virgin?" she asked and couldn't help but be a bit offended. He shook his head with a crooked smile.

"No, it's not about that Hermione, to be honest, I didn't even know. But think about it, Hermione. From your point of view, we haven't even been together that long yet. And to hear that there are two blokes who have pined after you for years can be a bit overwhelming, even for the best of us." He smiled kindly before he bestowed a soft kiss onto her lips. "Gideon and I don't plan to go anywhere, so you can take your time to think things through. If afterwards, this is still what you want, then we'll gladly ravish you until you can't remember your own name." He kissed her again with a wide smile. She nodded reluctantly.

"All right. I'll take my time to think this through, even though I'm already pretty sure that I know what I want." They smiled at her and looked at her with their bright blue eyes. "Well, maybe it can't hurt to read a book or two about… ah… intercourse with magical twins. Do you have something like that in your library?"

They looked at her with wide eyes and for a moment it seemed like they were at a loss for words. But finally, Gideon took her hands into his and locked his eyes with her. "This is not an exam Hermione and you sure as hell don't need to read a book to… Merlin! There's nothing you need to worry about, love." Fabian nodded next to him and he put his hand on her cheek before he pulled her over to kiss her temple. "We'll go this path together, step by step and if there's something you don't feel comfortable doing then we simply try something else, alright? There's no proper way to do this, just things you like and dislike. And we just need to find out those from each other."

Hermione nodded shyly. "But not today?"

The twins nodded in unison. "No, not today. I'm famished, to be honest, and I'd really like a bite or two. And a bit of sleep would be nice, yeah?"

She sighed. When she was honest with herself, she was hungry, too. "Alright, Let's get something to eat then. Wasn't there this cosy little Thai place around the corner?"

Fabian and Gideon grinned. "Hermione, you've got the best ideas."

"I know," she replied with a cheeky grin.


	36. Chapter 36

A.N.: Hey guys, we're almost done with this story. After this chapter, there's only one more to come.

But first here's a little bit smut for you. I hope you enjoy.

Chapter 36: Losing restraints

8th of October 1999

"How was Voldemort defeated anyway? Which one of you killed him in the end?" Hermione asked her boyfriends the next morning while she snuggled against their warm bodies. They had a great day yesterday and Hermione enjoyed finally being with them, without having this big uncertainty hanging between them. She could tell that Fabian and Gideon were finally able to be themselves again. They must have been holding back a lot during the last weeks because suddenly they were much more affectionate and it wasn't rare that one of them suddenly pulled her into a lingering kiss. Hermione kind of enjoyed that new openly affectionate side of her twins.

"We didn't do it, Dumbledore did," Gideon said and played with her hair again. "He showed up shortly after the goblins stormed out of Gringott's and joined the fight. By that point, all the Death Eaters were so distracted, that we could hand over the Horcruxes to Grabruk, who was luckily in a good enough condition to finish them off for good. That's when the Headmaster arrived and duelled Voldemort. I've never seen anything like it."

Hermione nodded deep in thought. "Maybe you could show me in the Pensive one day. I'd love to see it." But her mind was already trying to comprehend what that new information meant. She hummed and started gnawing on her bottom lip. "Did you ever find out, who betrayed us in the end? Because I am sure it wasn't a coincidence that those Death Eaters waited for us in Little Hangleton."

Fabian, who was lying on his back next to her, sighed heavily. "We never found out, to be honest. I am almost sure that Dumbledore and Severus were the only ones who knew that we planned to go there. But both of them proved to be on our side in the end. It's all very mysterious."

"Maybe one of them was watched or overheard by a Death Eater," Gideon proposed and yawned. "I guess we'll never find out, after so many years."

"I guess you're right," Hermione admitted with a grumble. Because she didn't like the idea of that at all.

sssssss

"Stop fidgeting Sunshine," Fabian whispered into her ear as they walked the small footpath up to the Burrow. "There's no reason for you to be nervous." But that was easier said than done. Molly's dinner invitation for the three of them arrived during breakfast that morning and Hermione couldn't help but wonder how much the woman knew about her new established relationship with the twins and if that was the reason for the sudden invitation. But even more, she was worried what all the other Weasleys would say when they learned that Hermione was in a relationship with their uncles. She didn't really care what they thought but she still hoped that the news would be received well.

"I'm trying," she whined and brushed her curls behind her ears but she knew, that they wouldn't stay there for long. That bought her a smile from her boyfriends and led to them taking her hands into theirs and leading her up the path across the huge garden of the Burrow. Molly already waited for them in the front door and looked at them with a wide smile.

"There you are," she said and opened her arms to pull them into a hug. The twins accepted it willingly and went straight into her arms but Hermione stayed back uncertainly. She and Molly weren't that close in this timeline after all. But the Weasley Matriarch would have none of it and as soon as she had let go of her brothers, she stepped in front of Hermione with a motherly smile. "And now to you Hermione, welcome to the family," she said and not even a moment later she pulled her into her arms and didn't let go of her for a very long while. "I'm so glad you finally remember everything. Those two were beside themselves after losing you," Mrs Weasley started as soon as she let go of Hermione, but Gideon pulled Hermione into a house with an awkward smile. "But we are fine now, end of story Mol's," he said and looked at his sister with a stern expression. The Weasley Matriarch nodded with a sigh and led them into the house. As Hermione had expected, the whole Weasley family was gathered around the large dinner table. While Fred and George pulled her into a simultaneous hug and kissed her cheeks with wide matching grins, the other members of the family looked at her with a raised brow and Hermione got the impression that some of them were quite surprised to see her at such a family gathering. Especially Ron looked at her with something like a sour expression and Hermione was sure he remembered their last meeting and her behaviour towards him. She was sure that such a prominent Quidditch star as Ron wasn't used to be told off by women her age but Hermione thought that it might eventually have done him some good, at least she hoped so.

"What's she doing here?" he whispered towards Ginny but Hermione was still able to hear and rolled her eyes. She didn't seem to be the only one, as Fabian looked at him with a raised brow and said: "Aren't we allowed to bring our girlfriend?"

The room was filled with immediate silence and one would have been able to hear a pin drop. Hermione had the feeling that all eyes suddenly were on her and more than a single pair of them was widened in surprise.

"She's shagging you both?" Ron asked his uncles in a flustered tone and for a moment Hermione was shocked speechless by his words, but not so her boyfriends.

"Not your business jackass," Gideon reminded his nephew with a stern look. "Neither Fabian nor I ever asked after your romantic adventures with your various girlfriends, even though I am sure you are quite proud of them. I would like to ask the same amount of decorum of you."

"That's like asking a dog to sing an opera," Fred murmured to Hermione and rolled his eyes. "Ickle Ronniekins will never be able to establish something like manners or restraint." He put his arm around her shoulder. "I'm happy for the three of you, you know? You look positively radiant in the moments you're not embarrassed by my family and want to be swallowed by the ground."

Hermione rolled her eyes at him, but George was at her other s a moment later. "Just ignore the prick," he said quietly and pressed her arm. "I don't know where he was hiding when my parents tried to teach him some manners. I've never seen my uncles so happy and I'm pretty sure you're the reason for that."

She nodded with a sigh and a small smile on her lips but didn't say anything in return.

"Would you like to come over to the shop sometime this week?" Fred asked in the hope to distract her from the lecture Molly and her brothers seemed to give Ron, but Hermione still heard it with half an ear. "We've tried to replicate some of the products you showed us in your memories," George added "and we'd love if you could take a look. You're our new business partner after all."

She nodded. "I'd love to come over. We could also make a short trip to Gringott's to settle your debt with the goblins and when you're finally free of that, we'll make plans for a little make-over of your shop. What do you think?"

Fred and George blinked at her open-mouthed for a moment, before they sandwiched her in a hug between them. "You're sure you don't want to marry us?" Fred said with a boyish grin before he winked at his uncles who stared at them with twitching corners of their mouths.

Hermione grinned. "Sorry to disappoint you, boys, but I'm most definitely taken." She flashed her boyfriends a winning smile and before she knew what was happening, Fabian had pulled her into a stormy kiss, followed by his brother. The room around them erupted in cheers and wolf-whistles and if Ron was murmuring something inappropriate under his breath, everybody ignored him – even Hermione.

ssssssss

It was very late when Hermione, Gideon and Fabian finally stumbled back into their home. Yes somehow Prewett House had gotten her home too during the last weeks and she didn't even consider getting a place for herself any longer, even though she had the money to do so now. She didn't really want to have to leave the twins in the evenings and only see them when they had agreed to meet each other. Hermione wanted to spend as much time in their presence as possible, which had never happened to her with any other person. Even with Ron, she was happy to have some hours on her own to have time for reading and studying, but as the Prewetts were brilliant and studious on their own, they never got in her way and even helped her from time to time. When that realisation finally hit her, it was all Hermione needed to know because suddenly she had her answer.

"I am sure being with you is what I want," she said just as they were about to crawl into bed together. By now Fabian's room had somehow become their shared bedroom and Hermione's own bed lay empty since the night when she had regained her last memories. Her adoring boyfriends seemed more than happy with this new arrangement. "I don't care that you are older, that you both want to be with me or whatever it is, you think I might care about because I don't. I love you, both of you and I want to be with you in any way possible."

Fabian and Gideon stared at her for a short moment, before a wide grin spread on their faces. "Brilliant," they chorused before they stepped in front of her and Gideon kissed her soundly while Fabian snuggled into her side. Hermione could immediately feel that this kiss was different from the ones they had shared before. Gideon's tongue was in her mouth within seconds and while he buried his hands in her hair, Fabian's hands started to roam her body as he nibbled on the skin of her throat.

"Tell us if you want us to slow down," the latter murmured and a moment later he reached her neck. There his teeth scraped across her sensitive skin before she felt him carefully suck her neck at the same place. She moaned into his brother's mouth, but that only seemed to encourage them further.

"Bed," she gasped in between kissed as she felt her knees starting to buckle. Gideon nodded with a smile on his lips and not even a moment later she felt him turn her around with his hands on her hips and march her to the bed, without breaking the kiss. It was only a few steps before she felt her legs hit the edge of the mattress but her boyfriend simply pushed her further and Hermione stumbled back onto the bed with a surprised squeak. She expected him to climb into bed next to her but instead, his brother Fabian was on top of her a moment later to claim her mouth.

"I wanted to do this for ages," he confessed in between kisses while his fingers started roaming over her belly. It wasn't long until they reached the hem on the bottom of her shirt and started pushing it up to have access to the skin that was hidden underneath. Hermione looked at him with wide eyes and a heavily beating heart.

"I'm sure as hell not stopping you because this feels wonderful," she confessed with pink cheeks and brushed her thumb against his cheekbone. "Just tell me if you want me to do something because I kind of feel out of my depth."

"Don't worry about us, love," Gideon said and suddenly appeared behind her. He must have climbed the bed from the other side because suddenly he looked down at her with his face upside down. "Fabian and I will be fine, no matter if you just want to lie back or try something on your own."

She blinked at him in confusion. "But what if… I'm not sure if I can do this with the both of you today." Hermione felt her cheeks heating up in embarrassment but the two redheads looked at her with kind, blue eyes.

"Do what?" Fabian said and pressed a slow kiss on her lips while Gideon stroked her hair with his hands. "Say it Hermione."

She hesitated for a short moment but then she pulled herself together and said: "I'm not sure if I can sleep with you both tonight. I have no idea if this will hurt or I'll be sore or… whatever."

Gideon nodded in understanding and his twin did so too a moment later. "We didn't expect you to, love. Don't worry, the twin bond will make sure, that neither of us will feel left out as we'll be able to feel what the other one feels."

Hermione looked at them with wide eyes. "Everything?"

They shrugged unconcernedly. "If we want to…" Fabian said with a lazy smile before his hand trailed higher under her shirt. Hermione squirmed against his hand impatiently and before she realized what she was doing, she pulled him down into a feverish kiss. He followed her invitation without hesitation and brushed his tongue against hers before he started exploring her mouth. Hermione simply let go and closed her eyes. She stopped cataloguing who of them did what and simply enjoyed the feeling of their hands on her naked skin and in her hair. Their lips seemed to be everywhere at once and it wasn't long until she lay moaning and panting below them and looked up at them with glassy eyes. Both of her redheads that had positioned themselves at both of her sides looked down at her with a smug grin. "Enjoying yourself?" Fabian asked with an unmistakable glint in his blue eyes while he stroked her swollen bottom lip with his thumb.

"More than I have words for," she admitted and smiled happily at her boyfriends. "You?"

"Absolutely," he said and pulled her into another heated kiss that left her breathless after only seconds and let her close her eyes again to be able to feel everything that was going on. One of their hands had found her way between her legs and did things that lit a fire which wasn't about to die down anytime soon. Oh! There was definitely a mouth kissing its way up her sides until it closed itself around her nipple and started sucking it carefully. She moaned but the sound was swallowed by the twin kissing her mouth with growing passion and so Hermione buried her hands in his hair instead.

If they went on like this she wouldn't be able to hold on any longer. The last sensible thought had already left her brain and there was nothing left but hunger and passion. She didn't care and kept encouraging her boyfriends with her lips and hands and the increasingly desperate moans that seemed to keep coming from her mouth. It seemed to be working because a part of her brain registered that they were panting and moaning almost as much as she did.

"Love you," she heard Gideon say into her ear before he started sucking at the pulse point at her neck and her body bucked beneath him in lust. She wanted more, she needed more but they seemed to sense her thoughts, as Fabian's voice suddenly whispered into her other ear. "Can we make love to you, Love?"

She nodded with almost something like desperation. "Gods yes, please," she moaned, as the hand between her legs started stroking her there, where she liked it the most.

She saw him smile with glinting eyes. "Good. Do you trust us?"

She nodded, but instead of a coordinated answer, only another moan left her mouth. He didn't seem to mind at all.

"Close your eyes. Or do you want to pick one of us to be your first…" Hermione shook her head and looked at him with wide eyes.

"No, I… I think I couldn't, even if I wanted to. I actually don't want to have to decide between the two of you at all."

Fabian smiled knowingly at her. "Then you won't. Close your eyes," he instructed her and a moment later his lips were on hers again. She let herself enjoy the kiss and get lost in it, but after while his lips disappeared and for a moment she wanted to open her eyes to find out, where he had disappeared to. She resisted though and after a short moment, there was another pair of lips on her mouth again. Was it him? Or was it Gideon? Hermione wasn't able to tell but she honestly didn't care because suddenly she felt the person on top of her shift and position himself between her legs. She felt the heart in her chest speed up in anticipation. Hermione didn't have to wait long, because suddenly she could feel him against her entrance and for a moment she felt the urge to stiffen, but suddenly she got distracted by some clever fingers playing with her nipple again. And just as she threw her head back and moaned into the mouth that so skilfully kissed her, her boyfriend buried himself inside her. It was nothing like what she had expected. Hermione had heard from many friends that it could be painful the first time but either she was too distracted to notice or she was simply lucky. Because, apart from the slightly uncomfortable feeling to be stretched by something big inside of her, she felt fine, very fine. She communicated this with a desperate moan and a hungry kiss on whoever's mouth. What followed was a simultaneous moan from both of her boyfriends, before one of them started moving on top of her and the feeling of it was slowly but steadily increasing the fire that already raged inside of her. Hermione allowed being swallowed by it completely. Her fingers dug into her boyfriend's back and she could hear him moan on top of her just as she tipped over the edge and she pulled him against her while her body shuddered as she found her release. It was obviously enough to send them over the edge too, because not a second later she heard Fabian and Gideon moan her name in desperation before the body over her tensed and bucked, while another man shuddered with passion next to her. Then, for a moment, none of them moved before the boyfriend on top of her rolled down and cuddled himself against her other side, so that her sated and tired body was now comfortably sandwiched between the two of them.

"That was…" she started but suddenly she was at a loss for words or better, she couldn't decide for one that would describe everything she felt at once.

"Yeah," both of them agreed breathlessly and pulled her closer. Obviously, they had understood her anyway and totally agreed with her because both of them sounded like Hermione felt: blissfully happy and satisfied.


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37: New beginnings

15th of October 1999

The next days were the happiest days of Hermione's life, at least as far as she could remember. There was, of course, a good amount of time the three of them spent in bed together and even though Hermione would never be able to tell, who the first man was she had ever slept with, she could definitely tell with whom she had sex from then on. The new lovers spent a growing amount of time exploring their bodies and by now Hermione knew every freckle and sensitive spot on both of her boyfriends. She knew how to make them moan, what to avoid and how to encourage them with whatever they were doing with her at the time. It was her new favourite thing and she spent as much energy on learning and cataloguing their bodies, as she had on studying whatever topic fascinated her in the past. And those men, they looked at her with so much love and passion, weren't about to stop fascinating her anytime soon. Hermione had the feeling she would never get tired of making love to the two of them and it seemed to be the same the other way around as well. The twins showed her openly everything they knew and patiently endured her fumbling until she had learned how to make them moan, beg for more and come apart with her hands and her mouth. She had quickly learned that she could ask them anything and that there was nothing she needed to be ashamed of.

But their bed activities weren't the only thing that kept her in such a good spirit. When Hermione wasn't busy studying in the library, Fabian and Gideon invited her along to join them for their work and it was during that time, she learned the most. Their patience with her never seemed to tire and they kept explaining everything she wanted to know in detail to her. She realised that it was a very huge advantage, not to have one or two boys as boyfriends that were her age. They most likely wouldn't have had the patience for much more than shagging her, and most likely they wouldn't have had the knowledge to keep up with her or teach her anything new – at least academically. But her twins enjoyed doing just that and Hermione could have burst with happiness.

"Good morning?" Fabian asked her across the breakfast table after she had dreamily stirred her cup of coffee for several minutes.

"The best," she grinned and winked at him. "I never thought I could be as happy as this, not after my first war and even less during the time since I stumbled back into the past. For a while, everything just looked hopeless and suddenly… this is still like a dream to me and sometimes I am afraid to wake up."

"I know the feeling," Gideon said next to her and kissed her temple. "The time after the war was even worse for me, than the days when the Dark Lord was still alive. And after you suddenly appeared in our lives again just to see us as complete strangers…" He shook his head and sighed. "Let us all hope this is not a dream because otherwise, I'll refuse to leave my bed for the foreseeable future."

At that Hermione grinned at him, before she pulled him into a spontaneous kiss. "Doesn't sound like a bad idea at all," she mumbled before she started nibbling at his bottom lip. "Can I keep you company?"

Fabian snorted amusedly on her other side. "I think we created a monster brother," he said before he started slowly kissing her neck. "But I'm as sure as hell not complaining."

ssssssss

They had barely stumbled out of bed again when Fabian alerted them to a pair of visitors at their front door. Hermione's hair was still in a state of total disarray but for the first time in her life, she couldn't have cared less. And so she trotted down the stairs totally unconcernedly and watched Gideon open the front door. When she saw who was in front of the door, she halted her steps halfway down the stairs and stared at them in disbelief, because she hadn't expected those visitors at all.

"Hi, it's Lily Potter. We went to Hogwarts together, but I'm not sure if you remember me," the redhead in front of her boyfriend explained nervously and Hermione could see her shuffle her feet.

"I do," Gideon replied neutrally and inclined his head. "How can I help you? And who's that by your side?"

"Oh sorry," the woman at their door replied hastily. "That's my son, Harry."

"He looks like James," Gideon said calmly. "What can I do for you then? Are you in need of some warding?" Hermione could have sworn that he very well guessed that this might not be the case and it was confirmed by Lily's next words. "We wanted to talk to Hermione Granger. Severus said we'd be able to find her with you."

"Obviously, she's my girlfriend," he said matter-of-factly before he stepped aside. "Come in then. You can sit down together in the living room."

Suddenly Hermione wished she hadn't been as careless with her hair before, but it wasn't to be helped now. And so she slowly walked down the rest of the stairs and stared at the two visitors with an awkward smile. "Hello Mrs Potter, hi Harry," she said before she moved into the living room, where she sat down on the sofa next to Gideon. She was happy he didn't just abandon her in the intention not to intrude into her personal business, because Hermione very much wanted him at her side. Harry and his mother took the armchairs at the sides and looked at them with unmistakable interest.

"So, what can I do for you?" Hermione asked as she couldn't hide her curiosity any longer. The two of them seemed to be grateful that she had opened the conversation.

Lily looked at her with a kind smile, before she looked at her son who nervously cleared his throat. "Right," he said and looked at her with nervous eyes. "I wondered if you'd be willing to share your story with us, Hermione. I know I behaved like a spineless idiot the last time we'd seen each other, but I didn't really expect this reaction from my dad and Uncle Peter. It caught me totally by surprise because usually he's nice with everyone and even though he's a bit odd sometimes, he never behaved like that before." Hermione nodded and looked at her guest with a serious expression. She could feel Gideon's hand at the small of her back and his warmth that seeped through the fabric of her thin sweater soothed her nerves and enabled her to calmly listen to Harry's words.

"I asked him what happened, you know, but he told me a story that almost seemed too hard to believe. Is it true you abducted him and held him in a cage for weeks?" Her former friend stared at her with wide eyes but before Hermione could utter a single word, Gideon said with a smile:

"Actually that was me and my brother - and Severus, to give the man some credit."

Harry looked at her boyfriend in surprise. "But why?" he asked and almost leapt from his chair.

The answer came from the door behind them. "Because otherwise, you'd be an orphan now, Harry, and most likely an only child." It was Fabian, who strolled towards them while levitating a tray with tea and biscuits next to him. It only took him about half a minute to place everything in front of them on the coffee table and get settled on Hermione's other side, from where he slung his arm casually around her waist.

Harry stared at them with furrowed brows and for a moment Hermione found that he looked, like the Auror he also was in that timeline. "Why? What happened there? Peter's such a nice chap, he wouldn't harm a bug in the grass."

Hermione sighed. "Maybe not himself, no, but to save his own skin? Definitely. He was the Secret Keeper of your parents Harry and when he believed that the war was lost for our side, he ran over to the Dark Lord."

Lily stared at her with wide, shocked eyes, but her son still didn't seem convinced. He looked at her with a contemplative expression and tried to evaluate, whether she was telling the truth. Hermione sighed. "I know it is hard to believe, but it's the truth. I can show you part of my memories in the Pensieve if that' what you want."

Her former friend looked at her with wide eyes. "You'd do that?"

She shrugged. "I would if you really want to see them. But I warn you, it's not pretty."

"Can my mum come along, too?" Harry asked her again and Hermione sighed. She didn't really know the woman but if she really wanted to get Harry back into her life, then another ally surely wouldn't hurt. Hermione sighed. "Alright. But we better move this conversation into the study, then. The Pensieve is up there anyway."

Harry nodded eagerly and leapt from his seat. Hermione got up after him and led him to the door. Fabian and Gideon were at her side immediately and put an arm around her waist protectively.

"Are you really alright with this?" Gideon whispered and looked at her uncertainly. "You don't have to do this if you'd rather not."

But Hermione looked at him with a determined glint in her eyes. "I let a young Severus Snape perform Legillimency on me to prove a point. Compared to that, this will be a walk in the park."

Fabian snorted. "At least for you, yeah. I am not so sure about them though."

Fabian was right. When Harry and his mother left their place some hours later, their posture was bowed and their eyes looked somehow haunted. Hermione felt sorry for them but on the other hand, her heart sang, when she remembered the tight hug Harry had pulled her in before they left Prewett house it gave her the feeling that he had done the right thing and that she and Harry could somehow be friends again. That was more then she considered possible a day ago. Whatever relationship she and Harry would build, it would take time, but Hermione was not in a hurry, so she would give him time to digest everything he had learned today. She had done everything to win him back. Now it was his turn.

sssssss

19th of October 1999

It was three days later when there was another group of visitors knocking on their door. Hermione's hair was yet again in a comparable state of disarray but she was beyond caring by now. Gideon had established a mild obsession with her hair and whenever he was near, he buried at least one of his hands in her thick curls and as Hermione loved the feeling of it, she sure as hell wasn't complaining. Sorting her hair out countless times during the day had become a futile task for her and so she simply stopped doing it. Besides, whenever Gideon saw her now, he looked at her with a smug grin on his face.

"Can't say I expected to see you anytime soon," Fabian said at the door, but his back blocked Hermione's view so she wasn't able to tell who was in front of the door. "Did you finally come to your senses then?"

Hermione found his almost cold tone odd but when she padded closer and saw who was standing in front of the door, she almost understood. "Mr Lupin," she said and her eyes trailed to his two companions. "Sirius… and Mr Pettigrew," she greeted them as politely as possible. She would have been happy to see them if it wasn't for the fact, that they had brought the rat along. But she would be damned if she would let them know that from her reaction towards them. Hermione could tell that Fabian was in protective mode, as he took her hand into his and pulled her next to him.

She could tell that his behaviour had an immediate effect on them, as Remus Lupin and Pettigrew started to nervously shuffle their feet. Sirius just looked at them with a wide grin. "I see you still got those two wrapped around your little finger, Hermione," he said and stepped towards her. "Didn't get tired of them, did you?" There was still this roguish glint in his eyes which made him look so much different then the broken man he had been after Azkaban. It was enough to let a little smile break out on her face.

"Never," she said and pressed Fabian's hand. The handsome black-haired wizard just looked at her with a happy smile. "Good for you, Hermione. Would you mind letting us in for a minute? We came to have a little chat if that's alright with you."

Hermione looked at them for a long moment, but finally, she shrugged and stepped aside. "Alright, come in then. You know where the living room is."

Sirius smiled cheerfully and before one of his friends could say something, he had grabbed Remus' hand and pulled him into the right direction. Pettigrew followed them with a sour face and hanging shoulders. Hermione let them all pass and closed the door after them before she trailed after them towards the living room.

This time her guests had placed themselves on the sofa. Remus sat stiffly in the middle with his hands still clasped in Sirius' hands and Peter was on his other side and his eyes trailed the living room like he was looking for an emergency exit. Hermione looked at them for a moment, but before she could decide on a seating arrangement for herself, Fabian pulled her with him to a wingback chair and placed her possessively on his lap. She didn't know if he wanted to make a point with a notorious heart-breaker like Sirius in the house, but in a way, she didn't care. Because right now the gesture made her feel safe and wanted.

"What can we do for you gentlemen?" Fabian asked and even though Hermione wasn't able to see his face, his tone implied that he was looking at them with a serious expression.

Remus sighed. "Harry talked to us," he said and looked at them with tired eyes. "He told us what he has seen in your memories."

Hermione nodded wearily. "And he sent you to talk to us?"

Sirius snorted. "The boy can be a bull-headed fellow but he didn't have to. As soon as I heard his story, I couldn't wait to talk to you. And I dragged those two along."

The corner of her mouth twitched. "Alright, Sirius. I'm listening."

The wizard sighed. "Let's make this short. I am grateful for what you did Hermione, not for Lily and James, but for me. I'm glad that I didn't end up in Azkaban, or dead, or both, and instead found a family" he looked towards Remus "and a group of friends that are loyal at my side." He smiled grimly. "From our perspective, it is hard to believe, that all those things could have happened but as they were a reality for you…" He trailed off. "Anyway, I just wanted to thank you and tell you that I have no hard feelings towards you."

Hermione nodded carefully. "That's… good to know I guess. Thank you for letting me know." Sirius nodded happily before his elbow founds its way into Remus' ribs. The man stiffened for a moment and cast an annoyed look towards his friend before he sighed and said: "I do understand your reasons Hermione, but I still can't help but think, that there might have been a better way for you to handle things. As I told you, Peter is my friend and I would have wished that you put all your cards on the table and let us help him, together."

Hermione sighed, but before she could say something in return the man shook his head at her and continued. "I know those weren't easy times, for any of us and I understand, that you have been under a lot of pressure. Fact is, without you, none of us would be here today and for that, you have my thanks." He swallowed heavily before he looked at his friends. "I am not sure if I'll ever be able to trust you again, Miss Granger, as you have lied to me and I have difficulties in forgiving that. I am not sure if we can ever be friends, but I assure you, that I respect your actions and won't hold them against you."

She blinked for a moment before she nodded. In a way, she understood him, even though his words still hurt. She had always known that her meddling in the past would have consequences and if this was one of the prices she had to pay, she would gladly accept it. It was still better to have him alive and a stranger to her, then to not have him alive at all.

"Thank you, Mr Lupin," she said calmly and nodded. Hermione was just about to get up because for a moment she thought this conversation was finished when the last of her guests cleared his throat and looked at her with haunted, watery eyes. "I also would like to thank you, Miss Granger," Peter Pettigrew said in a small and shaky voice and before Hermione realized what he was doing, the man had gotten up from the sofa and walked in front of her. There he stood and looked at her with frightened but determined eyes. Hermione could help but stiffen in Fabian's lap. "I didn't enjoy being kept a hostage by…him... but I understand that my fate would have been a very different otherwise. Even though my friends do have a hard time believing I would have betrayed them, I do not." He looked back at them with wide eyes, before he focussed his grey eyes on her again. And Hermione looked at him with a careful expression.

"I know that I am not the strongest of characters and the events of the war had me scared beyond my wits. And I can see me doing what you told Harry I would have done. I am glad you prevented me from betraying my only friends and ruining everything that was good and important in my life."

Hermione stared at the small pudgy man in front of her open-mouthed. Was he really just thanking her for keeping him captive? "I… I am glad that you're not holding it against me… Mr Pettigrew," she said carefully and looked at him with a weary expression. She couldn't help it but the man still gave her the creeps. But Peter didn't seem to feel her aversion though and looked at her with a pleased smile.

"Peter," he corrected and offered her his small short-fingered hand. "I want you to call me by my given name, Miss Granger, as I'd like us to be friends from now on." She stared at him with wide, disbelieving eyes but when she saw the small smile on Sirius' face she knew, that the Marauder was totally serious with her. "You seem to be an important figure in Harry's life and I can see that he's important to you, too. I realize that there are some unpleasant memories of one another in the past, for both of us, but I don't want to be scared every time you come for a visit and I hope that you might be tired of blaming me for something that I never had the chance to do." She could see the man's body shaking now and for a moment she felt almost sorry for him. "I am not the same man I was in your past, Miss Granger and I would like the chance to prove it to you. In return, I give you the chance to show that you are not the same cold woman, that visited me years ago in Snape's basement. I want a new beginning Miss Granger – Hermione – and I'd like to be your friend if you'll let me."

For a moment Hermione was struck speechless, as this wasn't at all what she had expected from this visit. Was it even possible that she could trust him, that they could be friends? Could they really let all the bitterness and the distrust behind and make a new beginning?

She sighed inwardly and thought: That's what we fought this war for, after all. She had always wanted a new beginning, a new chance for everybody that had been lost to the war. At this moment she realized that this wasn't just Fabian, Gideon, Sirius, Remus or the Weasley twins, it was Peter Pettigrew, too. He was also a victim of this war, even though she had never seen him like this. But it was true nonetheless.

"I'd very much like to be your friend, Peter," she said honestly, got up and shook his hand. "If you can put the past behind you, so can I. To a new beginning," she said and smiled. And even though this act of forgiveness cost her every bit of determination she had, she knew it was the right thing to do. The war had cost all of them that much and it was finally time to claim something back from it in return. For some of them, it was love and friendship, but for some of them, like Peter, it was compassion and forgiveness, too.

A.N.: That's it guys. I might add an epilogue at a later point if I have an idea, how it could add something to the story. But to be honest with you, I like the note on which this story is ending with this chapter. Yes, I know that there are still some unsolved mysteries, like for example the ominous traitor which is still not found. This is totally intended and I will not answer this question for you. You can make up your own theories and share them with me. In real life, there is not always an answer to everything and I want it to be the same here. Hermione decides to trust Peter and the others even though she doesn't know who ratted them out. Some of you might question this decision, but it's her way to make a clean cut and find happiness.


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